Muslims greet protesters outside mosque
I’m now at the mosque, and directly across Malcolm X Boulevard are about a dozen or so protesters holding signs saying, “Prayer, Yes. Extremism, No!’’ The protesters have a two-man band, including a saxophone, playing an unusual medley of music ranging from “Amazing Grace” to “Embraceable You,’’ and they are handing out doughnuts to passers-by, along with brochures reading “what you need to know about the ISBCC/MAS leadership.”
In a bit of counterprotest theater, a group of young Muslims took white roses from the interfaith breakfast this morning and walked over to the demonstrators to hand them the flowers as a sign of peace and goodwill. Predictably, a shouting match ensued, surrounded by reporters and cameras, with a group of police standing warily by. Minds were not changed – it’s not even clear how well people could hear one another, if at all.
I tried to talk to a few of the protesters, but they said they had been instructed not to speak to the media, but rather to defer all questions to Charles Jacobs, who has been the mosque’s leading critic. Jacobs was critical of the flower gesture, saying, “they just want to surround me and give me flowers – they don’t want to talk to me,’’ and he urged reporters to focus on what he says has been problematic funding of the mosque by Saudi donors, and problematic literature in mosque-related facilities, such as instructions for wife-beating that were once posted on the website of the mosque in Cambridge, which, like the Roxbury mosque, is owned by the Islamic Society of Boston.
One supporter of the mosque pointed out to me that, although the vast majority of Boston’s Jewish leadership has boycotted today’s events, it seems likely that there were actually more Jews celebrating with the mosque supporters than protesting them – the breakfast’s honorary chairs included two Hebrew College officials as well as the head of the Workmen’s Circle, and the attendees included some young Jewish activists. One of the Jewish participants in the interfaith breakfast inaugurating the mosque, Enid Shapiro, e-mailed me to say, "The breakfast was quite extraordinary although I was very disappointed that representatives of the established Jewish Community (CJP) were not represented. The demonstration outside the Reggie Lewis Center was appalling and certainly did not represent me or in my mind the Jewish Community." Later, at the ribbon cutting, I ran into Rabbi Moshe Waldoks, who told me he saw around six local rabbis joining the celebration. “For those in the Jewish community who have been involved in dialogue with the Muslim community, we celebrate what our cousins are doing by establishing this symbol in the community for many years to come.”
A variety of Muslims talked to the protesters, including the Saudi architect of the mosque. Also talking with the protesters was Harvard pluralism guru Diana Eck, a religion professor and longtime mosque supporter, who brought her summer interns to today’s events to witness American pluralism in all its fervor and ferment. Eck said that the mosque “has been plagued with a series of misunderstandings, and the age-old tactics of guilt by association.’’ She called the suit and counter-suit that stalled the project “a huge blot on the face of Boston,’’ but said that the opening of the mosque, “on the positive side, has represented the kind of engagement that the new America really requires – this is the kind of engagement pluralism is really about.’’
(Photo above, by Michael Paulson/Globe Staff, shows the protests across from the mosque in Roxbury today, June 26, 2009.)
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These same people protested a recent Israel panel discussion. They handed out anonymous fliers slandering J Street and Senator Keith Ellison with many of the same tactics described here. Do these people have anything to do besides protest?
Bravo to the well-mannered protestors! Keep their feet to the fire. The MAS will beed constant scrutiny, unfortunately.
Why on earth is Walid Fitaihi still a trustee of the ISB? Even the Boston Globe called for him to be removed from the ISB years ago! And he resigned for a few months, until the ISB lawsuit was dropped, and then he was brought back as a trustee.
That Walid Fitaihi was leading a prayer at the interfaith breakfast is disgusting. No Protestant leader saying or writing the things that Fitaihi did would still have a job in Boston. Why does Fitaihi?
Bravo to the well-mannered protestors! Keep their feet to the fire.
Walid Fitaihi was quoted in the Arab press as calling for anti-Israeli violence and saying that Jews had perpetrated the worst evils in the world.
He is one of the mosque's trustees.
Why on earth would those milquetoast Jewish rabbi's meet with him? As I have always said, Boston Jewish leaders are afraid to make waves. They should have been with the protesters! But that would take guts.
Until "the end justifies the means" is no longer an excuse for proselytizing, this friction will continue. If Obama wants to Europeanize the US, he will find willing helpers in the Muslim community. Things have worked out so well there, eh?
Yes, by all means, let's keep perpetrating the mythology that all Muslims are terrorists. Fan the flames of hatred!
Morons.
If anti-Israel protesters showed up for a synagogue opening, they would be roundly villified as dirty anti-Semites.
Why is it okay for pro-Israel people to protest a mosque opening? How is that not racism/xenophobia?
And why are we still propping Israel up? I feel bad about the Holocaust and freely admit Jews have had a rough time of it for centuries, but if they can't maintain their adopted state themselves, it shouldn't be our job to keep it together for them. Make Germany pay for it.
I have a feeling that most of the protesters are there solely on racist and prejudicial grounds. Their questions have been answered, yet they still hold their signs but refuse to talk. I doubt that they can even honestly answer simple questions as to why they're truly there.
"perpetrating the mythology that all Muslims are terrorists" This is myth, but barely. When a significant Muslim movement openly criticizes and moves against the anti Israel forces anti-Jew, we will begin to believe. As in Germany in the 1930's the literati, the pluralism Gurus and prominent Jews refused to believe the worst. This evil does not have one führer but many. The Muslim community sits and waits allowing 'nutcake' preachers to foment hatred. They should not be surprised at the distrust pointed at them. There is much to distrust. A real friend is someone who acts in your behalf when you are not there. I am not ready to accept them as friends, sad but necessary.
all muslims are not terrorists but all terrorists are muslim its that simple
Hi Again Mike, All,
ST: Boston Media's Complacency
First Off I am glad to see several jewish leaders attend this event supporting their brothers in similar faiths. The same happens in the Nation of Israel yet gets better coverage when jewish leaders support the Palestinian population. It is fun to hear the prayerful joy songs of both the muslim and the hebrew rabbi.
Main Point: I remember well Jay Severin of 96.9 in 2001 and beyond and how he fanned Hate against Muslims and now Mexicans. You can read some of his words in the Globe. Jay was certainly not alone in fanning Hate, Lies, and mis-information across the air waves.
- - -
Post-06 "If anti-Israel protesters showed up for a synagogue opening, they would be roundly villified as dirty anti-Semites."
Post-07 "I have a feeling that most of the protesters are there solely on racist and prejudicial grounds"
- - -
If it was a protest against many other groups like the current jewish state, or some black church, maybe that Sis lady, or a few others, the Boston media would have a field day against these protesters. Yet it has given these voices of Hate equal footing as if they are participating in a valid debate.
I am not in total favor of all forms of pluralism "Diana Eck, a religion professor and longtime mosque supporter, o - o - o to witness American pluralism in all its fervor and ferment" yet I generally support everything else that Mike placed from her quote.
It is flat out stupid to accuse all Muslims as being "terrorists." Are all Catholics pro choice, all Jews Zionists, all Mormons polygamists? People who think this way due so out of convenience and a myopic view of the world. The blame game will always exist, but it is truly silly.
Way to keep up the hate Charles Jacobs!!! I'm sure you and Daniel Pipes are a little dismayed that Christianity, Judaism and Islam actually got along and prayed together at the breakfast but fear not, your sheep will continue to protest the evil Islam and make Muslims in Boston and the USA as uncomfortable as you can.
To all of the demonstrators, keep on drinking that koolaid!!!!
"It is flat out stupid to accuse all Muslims as being "terrorists." Are all Catholics pro choice, all Jews Zionists, all Mormons polygamists? People who think this way due so out of convenience and a myopic view of the world."
====
avi cohen, I totally agree with you. In the same vein, it is also flat-out stupid to think of all Republicans as xyz, or all conservatives as abc. Yet, come election time, the "us vs. them" thinking gets sharpened, and all Republicans are tarred with the same brush by the Democrats (and vice versa) with nary a thought to the nuances - or facts, for that matter. Such is life.
bostondude,
"Such is life" is absolutely true, but the media has a heavy hand in perpetuating these ludicrous outlooks. It's bogus and a waste of time, but the more people continue to see these things in print and on the news, the more some believe it to be true. Wouldn't it be better to base it on one's experiences rather than engaing in herd behavior? People are docile and feeble minded.
"all muslims are not terrorists but all terrorists are muslim its that simple."
Um, no its not. Last I checked, Timothy McVeigh wasn't Muslim, neither was Baruch Golstein, or the IRA, or the Sri Lankan Tamil Tigers, or the Red Brigades, or the Stern Gang, or the JDL. A mind is a terrible thing to waste....
I think most of the commentators here are jumping to conclusions concerning the nature of the demonstration. "Prayer not extremism" is a reasonable message, especially given what is a mattter of public record concerning the ISB's leadership.
Letting proud antisemite terrorism-promoter Walid Fitaihi read from the Koran at the celebration is a slap in the face to Jewish Muslim relations. Apparantly he apologized in a s closed meeting to a group of liberal Rabbis. If I were a rabbi, I would not publically support a mosque led by this guy until he apologized PUBLICALLY in ARABIC to my people for his hate-mongering and racist remarks!
99% of terrorist acts involve Muslims and are committed by Muslims. Why? Because their prophet Mohammed himself was a terrorist, a pedophile (marrying a 6 year-old girl named Aisha), a murderer (slaughtered a Jewish tribe, even some of his own relatives), and mandates his followers "to kill Jews and Christians" and calling them "pigs and apes." And the liberals continue to believe that Islam is a religion of peace? What a joke. Islam is not, has never been, and will never be compatible with democracy and Western values. The Muslims who come to America and other western countries abuse their newly found liberties to further promote their anti-American and anti-Western agenda; they may not be using weapons to do so, but they are doing it through "stealth jihad" which includes multiplying like rabbits and gradually imposing their beliefs and practices on the society until they become politically and legally recognized. This is the case with Lebanon, which used to be predominantly Christian. Lebanon allowed more Muslims into the country, and now they constitute 60% of the entire population. In America, a similar phenomenon is happening in Dearborn, Michigan which is now 40% Muslim and growing. So yes, American citizens have every right to be concerned about the opening of more mosques in the U.S., especially if they are funded by the Saudis. After all, Saudi Arabia is the cradle of Islamic fundamentalism. If you are proud to be an American, you will do everything in your power to protest and to fight all elements contrary to the U.S. Constitution!
angela, your comment is the ideal of ignorance on a platform and is the perfect example of hate, islamophobia, and disrepect towards the fastest growing religion on earth which stands for justice, and your stupid remarks of Prophet Muhammad, peace & blessings be upon you, might just end up slapping you in the face because he was indeed the most loved by OUR Creator. try reading the Quran, go to a masjid, know the history of Islam..and don't take your knowledge from a chosen consensus. use your mind..that is a challenge for you. fear ignorance you are indulged in, not Islam.
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