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Peace Through Unity and Strength
Where Was I On October 7th? A Muslim Reflection
From 2023 to 2024, Nova Festival is Not Forgotten
I’m looking at my social media feed, eyes wide open, not able to fully comprehend the horrific images I’m seeing. I leave social media, go to Google, search “Nova Festival attack,” and see news article after news article describing the attacks on innocent Jews at a music festival. The attack is described as the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust. Hundreds killed and hundreds taken hostage. At the time, the exact numbers unknown.
Who did this? Why did they do this? The answers: more simple than I thought. Hamas, extremists dedicated to eradicating Jews. In the coming days, I would see more and more of my friends showing sympathy for Palestinians being injured and killed. “Nothing wrong with that,” I thought. As the days turned into weeks I quickly saw that none of my friends were talking about what started this, the massacre at Nova Festival on October 7th.
No one mentioned the hostages, no one mentioned the Jews that were killed. What about them? Did they not matter? As a Muslim, raised in a Muslim household, with many Muslim friends, every time I mentioned any support for my Jewish friends and family it was met with hatred and criticism. “You’re a zionist!”, “you’re a traitor!”, “you’re choosing the devil over your own people!”.
People I considered close to me expressed their hatred toward Jews and hated me for showing any amount of sympathy and empathy. I thought that something had to change. Someone needs to speak out and speak up for the Jewish community. Change starts with us, so I decided to lend my voice, connect with the Jewish people, and do what I can to help.
Condenming actions of a group is great but I don’t believe it accomplishes anything. I wanted to see real change, not just posts on Instagram or statements by organizations for PR. Over the past year, I’ve made an effort to bring our communities back together. Hosting interfaith webinars, interfaith dinners with Muslims, Jews, and Hindus, and making sure that we actively fight antisemitism.
My heart breaks for my Jewish friends and family. My love goes out to the families of the hostages, and the hostages still captured by Hamas. I will continue to do everything I can, as it’s through the Jewish people that I have found hope.
