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Dear Friends,
In the aftermath of the hostage-taking at Congregation Beth Israel in Texas, CAM is urging civic leaders to stop the widespread incitement that fueled Malik Faisal Akram’s attack. Akram, an Islamist radicalized in England, flew across the Atlantic and entered the synagogue to demand the release of convicted terrorist and ardent antisemite Aafia Siddiqui – believing American Jews had the power to secure her release.
To ensure Jews are safe from extremist violence, antisemitic tropes propagated by all extremists, including Islamists, must be condemned. Just as the Tree of Life attack in Pittsburgh was a wake-up call against far-right antisemitism, so is the Congregation Beth Israel attack against Islamist antisemitism.
CAM continues to monitor and condemn Islamist antisemitic incitement, which is an urgent threat to Jewish communities and we will continue to work with our partners to combat it.
CAM partner American Muslim & Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council (AMMWEC) President Anila Ali said “Muslim community leaders must step up to help ensure these attacks stop. Silence is complicity — and we cannot stay silent about a climate of antisemitism tolerated by some Muslim leaders.”
Ali referenced Zahra Biloo, a director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) — who in a recent speech said, “We need to pay attention to the Zionist synagogues,” and described “polite Zionists” as “your enemies.” “Labeling mainstream Jews as ‘enemies’ creates the conditions for violence,” Ali noted. “Muslim leaders must insist upon zero tolerance for both overt and the thinly-veiled antisemitism.
Join AMWEC and CAM this afternoon for a Muslim-Jewish Solidarity Event.
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