سـنكون قنديـلاً في سواد الر

Interfaith rally at Long Island mosque condemns hate crimes.

When one group is harmed, we all are.

That was the message Friday in Huntington as a diverse cross section of public officials and clergy stood together in solidarity to denounce a recent string of hate crimes in Huntington and other parts of Long Island.

State Assemblyman Andrew Raia, R-Huntington, said Jews, Christians and Muslims are all facing a rise in hate crimes. “The only way to combat this is to join together in solidarity,” Raia said.

“If it’s a mosque today, it’s a temple tomorrow, it’s a church the next day. People that hate have no self respect,” said Supervisor Frank Petrone . “We stand with you. You’re a peaceful group here at this mosque. You’re adding something special to the town and we will not let you stand by yourself.”

Members of the Jewish community including Rabbi Ian Silverman of the East Northport Jewish Center and Rabbi Steven Moss, co-chair of county’s human rights commission said they stand in solidarity with their Muslim brothers and sisters.

“Say no to hate and yes to peace and harmony in the community,” said Moss.

“I take joy in the fact that we are standing from the various communities to represent religious liberty.” ”It’s joy to stand in solidarity with you today to declare unto those in the Town of Huntington who think it’s all right to harm houses of worship, that we stand against such action,” said Rev. Larry Jennings of the Bethel AME Church

“This is hate and the only way we can face it is head on,” said Silverman.

We hope to be able to support each other in times like this to find ways that we may all express our faith.” “When one religious community is harmed, we all are.”

Imam, Priest & Rabbi Work Together for Interfaith Harmony.

The Inter-religious Dialogue session will be led by Schaab, Imam Saad Baig from the Islamic Centre of the Quad-Cities in Moline and Rabbi Tamar Grimm of the Tri-City Jewish Centre in Rock Island.

The interfaith sessions are designed with a tone free from politics.

“Our goal is to educate, to give people information,” Grimm said. For example, the first session will be on the separate calendars, holy days and celebrations of the three faiths. It will take place at the Islamic Center

Looking at sacred scriptures will be very interesting to many Christians,” Schaab predicted.

“Each one offers something unique,” Grimm said. “But at the same time, it amazes me how much we share, in every one of our traditions.”

Schaab, the Catholic priest, believes that knowledge gained from the Inter-religious Dialogues deepens faith. “We want to be supportive, appreciative and sensitive to one another,” he added.

Baig, a Muslim imam, said such education teaches respect for all faiths. There also is value in seeing leaders of these faiths together on one stage, he pointed out. Baig cited a phrase that he believes is central to the outreach effort:

“The more you sweat in making peace, the less you will bleed in war.”