: American Muslims & Jews Fight the Urge To Fight

Despite escalating violence overseas, many American Muslims and Jews are stubbornly maintaining contacts with each other through community events and mosque/synagogue exchanges. “Many of us have frustration about what’s going on,” said one interfaith organizer in New York. “At the same time, we don’t want to let what’s happening there come and divide us.” In Philadelphia, children from the Al-Aqsa Islamic Academy and the Perelman Jewish Day School went on a joint field trip to the National Liberty Museum. An organization called Rekindle in the San Francisco area is organizing social events for Muslim and Jewish 20-30 somethings. The real treat, however, is the comic duo of Rabbi Bob Alper and actor Ahmed Ahmed, who perform to mixed Muslim/Jewish crowds across the country. “They asked me at the [airport] gate if I packed my suitcase myself,” quipped Ahmed. “I said yes, so they arrested me.” Alper commented that the shows have been tension-free. “The only problem we have had so far,” he explained, “was in New York when they wanted to love Ahmed to death.”

Shahed Amanullah is editor-in-chief of altmuslim.com.