American Rabbis And Imams Meet

Elliot Resnick writes:

Some may call it unity; others, futility. But last week 25 Jewish and Muslim clergy sat in dialogue at the first American summit of rabbis and imams.

"The American Muslim community is quite distinct from other Muslim communities around the world.

"It’s more open progressive, it’s more tolerant," said Rabbi Marc Schneier of the New York Synagogue and Foundation for Ethnic Understanding. Rabbi Schneier and Sheik Omar Abu-Namous of the Islamic Cultural Center of New York City organized the event.

The religious leaders discussed an array of topics, including combating anti-Semitism and Islamophobia; the Middle East was avoided.

"You can’t ignore the 800-pound gorilla in the room," acknowledged Rabbi Schneier. "But at the same time, that doesn’t mean we have to run out the starting gate and deal with the most sensitive issue on the ground."