On September 10, journalist Bob Smietana observed at a Religion News Service symposium, “Your spirituality may help you, but does it do your neighbor any good?”
On September 16 a Hindu temple in Melville, New York, was vandalized with graffiti denouncing Hindus and calling for “death to India.” The attack came shortly before a visit to Long Island by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Criticizing any government for its mistreatment of religious minorities is fair. Blaming an entire faith community or an entire nation for the actions of some is not: it is precisely the same sort of bigotry condemned by the vandals.
Local community rallies support for Temple in Melville, NY
Elected officials from both parties and representatives of nearby churches, synagogues, and mosques rallied at the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Melville to support local Hindus, whether they supported the policies of the current Indian government.
Condemning all Hindus for the actions of politicians thousands of miles away is as unjust as persecuting any faith community. The rally in Melville was an organized event with invited speakers, but sometimes the best response is spontaneous.
In recent weeks, unhinged conspiracy theorists and unscrupulous political candidates have repeated the false charge that Haitian refugees in Springfield, Ohio, are stealing and eating pets. Bomb threats phoned in from far away have forced the closings of schools, City Hall, and a festival celebrating the town’s multicultural diversity. The media has covered this part of the story well. What has been seldom reported is the response from their neighbors in Springfield. Dozens turned out for worship at Haitian churches. Hundreds rushed to a local Haitian restaurant for a meal and to support their neighbors.
Examples of interfaith support the world over
In much the same way, when a mosque was attacked in Toledo, Ohio, a Christian radio station urged listeners to ring the masjid with prayers for its protection: 2,000 people added their bodies to their prayers, shielding their neighbors from harm.
When a 2017 presidential executive order barred travel from seven Muslim nations, non-Muslims spontaneously rushed to airports across the land. Mustafa Umar, the imam of the Islamic Institute of Orange County in Southern California, told the New York Times how moved he was in January 2017 when he headed to Los Angeles International Airport to protest President Trump’s Muslim travel ban: We expected to find maybe a few hundred people there; instead, there were thousands–most of them not Muslims–holding signs that said things like “Muslims are here to stay.”
A few weeks later, when bomb threats terrorized synagogues and Jewish community centers across the country, hundreds of Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, and Jews gathered for an impromptu candlelight vigil outside the Mid-Island Y in Plainview, New York. Gestures such as these can mean the world to those who feel isolated. They also powerfully show to others that we will not tolerate intolerance.
In many countries, when a community faced hate crimes, people from other faiths showed solidarity. Lately, the trumped-up charge of Haitian refugees in Springfield, Ohio eating their neighbors’ pets is making headlines. But do you know that dozens turned out for worship at Haitian churches, and hundreds rushed to a local Haitian restaurant for a meal and to support their neighbors?
When a white nationalist slaughtered 50 worshipers at mosques in New Zealand, people around the world expressed sympathy for their Muslim neighbors, visited masjids, and created memorials for the fallen. What was most striking was the way ordinary people reacted. One Kiwi, for example, kept watch outside sanctuaries so Muslims could pray in safety.
Even when a tragedy strikes far away, your neighbors nearby may need you. After the Christchurch massacre, schoolchildren in California toured local mosques, and a Catholic university in Santa Clara held an interreligious vigil to remember those murdered and support local Muslims.
Muslims stand with Jews
Likewise, after a terrorist gunned down worshipers at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue, the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in American history, Muslim communities across the nation hostedvigils to support the congregation and raised more than $1.4 million for survivors, guardedsynagogues, accompanied Jews who felt unsafe, and attended funerals with their neighbors. After the Christchurch massacre, Jews returned the favor, organizing vigils, raising funds, and otherwise supporting their traumatized Muslim neighbors.
Expertise can be helpful in such times, but sympathy is more important. As Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told the families of victims in New Zealand, “We cannot know your grief, but we can walk with you.” When your neighbor is hurt, show up.
Photos courtesy: BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha
