Like all Americans, we at ICGC shocked and horrified to learn of violence and fatalities at the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend. We offer our deep condolences to the families of those injured and who lost their lives. Heather Heyer, the young woman who died at the hands of the young man that drove his car into a crowd, was a citizen committed to social justice. And the Virginia State Police officers, Berke Bates and Jay Cullen, who perished when their helicopter crashed while observing the rally, proved their dedication as public servants.
When as leaders and as American citizens, we let things get to a point where hundreds of our fellow citizens boldly and proudly declare that "Jews will not replace us" or "Blood and soil" or "America is for white people", we are complicit in creating this situation. We must speak out in a powerful voice against racism and xenophobia - but without dehumanizing and demonizing those who are swayed by these attitudes.
Widening Polarization Impedes Rational Discourse
This widening polarization in our country dissolves friendships and family relationships and fractures communities. Perhaps, worst of all, it impedes rational discourse about the problems that afflict our society. And as we witnessed in Charlottesville, when it involves hate groups calling for race supremacy, it can be deadly.
The events in Charlottesville are a call to action for reaching out to fellow citizens, with civility, especially to those whose views we find abhorrent. We can and do change our minds about our fellow citizens but it takes commitment to both the means and the end. The means is respectful dialogue, which is critical in strong, pluralistic democracies like ours. The end is addressing differences of opinion and debating policy, but that can only happen after establishing a baseline of common humanity.
What Can We Do? Know Your Neighbor
Our members look to the Qur'an 49:13, which tells humankind that God has "made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other". The need for active dialogue won't go away anytime soon, and the
Know Your Neighbor program, a nationwide coalition of faith- and community-based organizations, social justice campaigners, and civil rights activists, has committed itself to this task. The eighty-two members of the coalition, including the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati, based across all fifty United States provide tools, educational programs, interfaith training, dialogue resources, and in-person opportunities to strengthen our social fabric by relating to each other in simple ways.
We must remember core American principles of cooperation despite differences, of commitment to the greater good, and of concern for the "other". Some point in our history, we were all the "other" to someone else. We're calling everyone to know your neighbor. We are stronger when we unite around these core American values.
In Peace
Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati
|
