Combating Antisemitism in the Muslim Community

A few weeks ago, I attended an insightful conference in Washington, D.C., organized by the PhilosProject, centered on the pressing theme of Antisemitism. The conference was titled: “Catholics and Antisemitism—Facing the Past, Shaping the Future.”

Considering the rising levels of antisemitism, this theme couldn’t be more relevant. The conference was convened and efficiently moderated by Simone Rizkallah, Director of Philos Catholic at the Philos Project. The expert panel of speakers and scholars highlighted the alarming realities of religion-driven antisemitism within the Catholic world.

As I absorbed the proceedings, I recalled vividly attending a local mosque after October 7th  withbmy Rabbi friend, amidst the growing tensions and hostilities between the Muslims and Jewish communities, here in the United States..  .

As we sat in the prayer hall, my initial feelings of hope were overshadowed by discomfort as the imam made disparaging remarks about Jews during the Friday sermon. I felt a profound embarrassment at this sentiment, especially within a space that is intended to foster community and understanding.

After the prayer concluded, we approached the mosque’s leadership, articulating our concerns about the negative references to Jews. The atmosphere was charged; our intentions rooted in a genuine desire for dialogue and reconciliation.

Subsequently, my rabbi friend penned a poignant letter to the mosque, expressing her disquiet: She wrote – “I live about five blocks from you, but never felt so unsafe as I did at your mosque that day.” Her words haunt me every day, knowing fully well the urgency to call out the epic proportions of theology driven antisemitism in the Muslim world.

Critical questions gnaw at me: How can Muslim communities in the U.S. come together to acknowledge and actively confront the antisemitism that persists in our midst? The necessity of this confrontation is morally imperative; silence is a tacit approval of hatred. As the speakers astutely pointed out –

“Hard truths have to be said. Hard truths have to be repeated- in favor of decency. Civility demands that we collaborate.”

Yet, that collaboration has too often been absent among Muslims. While Catholic leaders are taking significant steps to address this longstanding prejudice, particularly through the Vatican II’s Nostra Aetate and papal declarations denouncing antisemitism, where is the Muslim voice in this conversation?

For far too long, many in my community have intertwined our support for the Palestinian cause with harmful antisemitic rhetoric. The historical narratives that inaccurately portray Jews as villains have serious consequences. They erode communal relationships, making Jews convenient scapegoats amid geopolitical grievances. This silence and complicity must end, for we sever the communal contract between Muslims and Jews with every instance of missed dialogue.

Our first step must be honesty. We must recognize that antisemitism exists within Muslim discourses and be willing to deconstruct received theologies that perpetuate these harmful stereotypes. It is not enough to condemn individual acts of hate; we must address the systemic issues that allow such prejudices to thrive.

Sometime in August 2017 I traveled to Sacramento to meet with the Jewish community after Imam Ammar Shahim during Friday prayers delivered a sermon at the Islamic Center of Davis, CA where he prayed to Allah to “liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque form the filth of the Jews” and to “annihilate them down to the very last one.”

In 2017 Aymen Elkasaby, the imam at the Islamic Center of Jersey City, was suspended without pay after calling for the death of Jews, exclaiming for Allah to “kill them down to the very last one,” in a hate-filled sermon.

During this time, it was clear that at least five prominent US Imams have been caught on tape preaching violence against Jews in sermons at mosques across America.

In 2022 Imam Abdullah Antepli who calls himself a recovering antisemite, said “We need to honestly discuss the increasing antisemitism within various Muslim communities.”

The time is now. We must take action through public statements and joint declarations with other faith leaders, demonstrating solidarity against antisemitism and hate. Muslim religious actors must renew Islamic religious exegesis. Our mosques need religious leaders, who are able to discern between the text and the context. We must develop joint educational programs focusing on religious tolerance to break down barriers and dispel misconceptions. Launch community service projects that can foster relationships that transcend ideological divides, creating unity in our shared mission for justice.

Engaging our youth in these discussions is essential; they are our future leaders who will carry the torch of understanding and mutual respect. Lastly, holding commemorative events to honor victims of antisemitism, like Holocaust Remembrance Day, will provide an essential platform for reflection and healing.

In solidarity, let’s take a stand against antisemitism and create a more inclusive society together. The time for action is now.

Soraya M.Deen – is a member of the delegation of Jewish and Muslim faith leaders of – The Ohr Torah Interfaith Center – The Blickle Institute for Interfaith Dialogue drawing inspiration from the historic Nostra Aerate declaration of 1965, working to promote a Jewish- Muslim Nostra-Aetate

Soraya is a Lawyer, Community Organizer, award winning international activist. She is the Co-Chair of the Women’s Working Group of the International Religious Freedom Roundtable in DC, founder of Muslim Women Speakers, and an Executive Board member of American Muslim Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council. (AMMWEC)