After 9/11, Muslims across North America faced suspicion, hatred and, in some cases, verbal and physical harassment. This included Winnipeg, where vandals smeared animal feces and eggs on the walls of the Muslim Islamic Centre. Local Muslims avoided leaving their homes to go to worship, for fear of facing anger and hostility.
In response, Rabbi Neal Rose, a leader in the city’s interfaith movement, helped organize rallies outside of the local mosque on Fridays so Muslims could feel safe and secure inside. The message, he said, was: “We will not let anyone harm those people.”
At that time, Rose dreamed of a day when people of faith in Winnipeg might regularly find ways to stand together to promote interfaith relations and understanding and dispel hate. That dream, he said, was never realized.
I recently had a chance to connect with Rose. I told him I think his dream was, in fact, realized — but not in the way he imagined. Maybe it was being accomplished as Winnipeggers came together to support the Religion in the News Project.
In so doing, they have not only made it possible to learn about other faiths, but also to put a human face on their interfaith neighbours and make it hard for hate to win.
And now, with the new partnership with Broadview Magazine, you can get a tax receipt for donating to the Project during the spring Crowdfunder—and keep Rabbi Rose’s dream going.
Or go directly to the donation page to make your gift during this spring Crowdfunder. Thanks!
No comments:
Post a Comment