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A Muslim-Jewish Solidarity Iftar brought together community leaders and activists from across New York City on Friday for an evening of interfaith relations building co-organized by the American Muslim and Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council (AMMWEC) and Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM).
The guest of honor at the event was New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
#Ramadan Mubarak!
A true honor to join Muslim women from across the five boroughs at a Women’s Iftar in Brooklyn tonight as we broke bread and talked about the critical issues facing New York City. pic.twitter.com/rfCPPe5Mog
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) March 30, 2024
The mayor’s remarks were loudly interrupted by an anti-Israel demonstrator who accused him of “murdering our people in Gaza.”
CEO of CAM Sacha Roytman denounced the disruption, stating, “While we respect the right to free speech, CAM unequivocally condemns any attempt to sow division between communities or disrupt efforts at good faith dialogue. Mayor Adams has been a stalwart ally in combating antisemitism, and we deeply appreciate his solidarity and active involvement with the Jewish community, particularly through his participation in CAM’s Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism in 2022, as well as the New York Symposium Against Antisemitism last May and his visit to Israel over the summer. During this holy month of Ramadan, we reaffirm our commitment to fostering interfaith understanding and collaboration to fight antisemitism and all forms of religious hatred.”
CAM was represented at Friday’s gathering by International Affairs and Partnerships Associate Arthur Dubov and Public Affairs Officer Natalie Sanandaji.
“Today, we are gathered here in the spirit of interfaith solidarity to celebrate Iftar,” Dubov said. “Now more than ever, it’s essential for us to unite to reject extremism and embrace the religious and cultural diversity that gives America its strength. And the group gathered here today is proof that coming together to break bread, and opening our hearts and minds, can help make the world a better place.”
“The Combat Antisemitism Movement, which engages more than 850 partner organizations and five million people in the collective effort to build a more harmonious future for peoples of all faiths and backgrounds, has been proud to ally with AMMWEC in numerous joint initiatives over the past five years, including annual interfaith iftar events like this one,” he added. “AMMWEC, and its leader Anila Ali, have stood steadfastly alongside the Jewish people during recent times of distress. We are very appreciative of this, and please know that the Combat Antisemitism Movement also stands with the Muslim community, ready to assist in tackling any challenges you face.”
“Muslims and Jews share a rich common heritage, and by focusing on what unites, rather than divides us, we can achieve together our common dreams for both us and the generations to come,” Dubov emphasized.
