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Edinburgh, Scotland – Muslim leaders have offered to stand guard outside a Scottish synagogue after it was vandalised in an alleged anti-Semitic attack.
Two men have appeared in court in connection with the attack on the synagogue in Edinburgh last week, when several window panes were smashed.
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Scottish Islamic Foundation chairman Ken Imrie has written to Rabbi David Rose of the Edinburgh Hebrew Co ngregation to voice the group’s “revulsion and horror” at the attack.
“We trust you have adequate security arrangements in place, in line with places of worship across the country. If not, such is our strength of feeling on this matter, we would wish to physically guard the synagogue ourselves,” he added in the letter.
It is the second time the Newington synagogue, which serves an estimated 700-strong Jewish community in Edinburgh, has come under attack in seven years and comes amid a reported increase in the number of anti-Semitic attacks in Scotland and across the UK following the recent conflict in Gaza.
The Scottish Islamic Foundation’s offer to provide security at the synagogue is intended as a show of strength between the two religious communities in a bid to prevent further unrest.
Mr Imrie wrote in his letter: “We wish you to know that the Muslim community stand full square with you in revulsion and horror at this vandalism. To violently damage any building is wrong. That this is a respected place of worship, faith and spirituality makes the crime even more heinous.”
Mark Gardner, spokesman for the Community Security Trust, an organisation that protects British Jews against anti-Semitic attacks and helps with other security issues within Jewish communities, said “This statement and others like it around the UK will hopefully encourage both communities to regard each other as allies in the face of racism and extremism,” Mr Gardner said.
A man aged 22 and a 17-year-old male appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on a charge of malicious mischief aggravated by religious prejudice in connection with the incident. They are also accused of possessing a baseball bat at the time.
They both pled not guilty and a trial date was fixed for 8 April.
and they say all the arabs are bad
You see, if more Muslims voiced their opinions on such matters such as this group, maybe people would be more accepting that yes, there are good Muslims out there too. It’s hard to remain neutral when the overwhelming majority of statements, letters, and just general news you hear coming out of the Islamic world is hate-based, violent, and destructive. If more Muslims spoke out against hatred and violence, and banded together to put a stop to the hatred that seems to engulf the religion and started working to teach the young generation tolerance instead of suicide, maybe things can change. At any rate I am impressed with the Scottish Islamic Foundation.
Wow!! that is really really good news. Thank you for publishing this.
The kindness of the Muslim community toward the Jewish people now and in generations past shall not be forgotten.
In my own family, my mothers entire extended family escaped Poland to Algeria thanks to the kindness of the Muslim community who gave them Algerian papers. I would not be here if it were not for the protection and kindnesses of the Muslim community for which our family is eternally grateful.
Just what we need the Fox guarding the Hen House.
This could be the start of a new approach to Jews. This is not because of love of Jews, this is because of hate for Israel. Like this, they can tell the world, “You see? We are not against Jews, we are just against Israel and the Zionists.”
this is the exception and Not the rule (unfortunately) but very encouraging…a very positive and upbeat article……thank you VIN for posting.
Ignorance breeds ignorance. Most Muslims have no problem with Jews or Israel. Just like not all Jews rob people of their money (ie. Madoff). Don’t be too cynical about this. This kind of cooperation happens in many places outside of Brooklyn, including here in Florida. There are plenty of Muslims you can point to with hatred, but most are far more like us than you realize. – Yes, this is from personal experience.
intersting muslims wanting to whatch a shul… help is good and sometimes from the outside can b helpful it is
may there be this kind of peace in jerusalem
let nefesh bnefesh take their garbage and sell it to the dogs
seemingly the golus approach seems to work
bullshit i don’t trust them one bit
Many, Many Muslims are like this. But, in most countries THEY, the normal Muslims are frightened by the minority of crazies among their own. It is the crazies, or those who follow them, though they are a small minority, who have the guns, and means, and will to kill those who oppose them.
Also, they will kill the person or person’s family of one of their own who opposed them. We cry out that Muslims around the world should speak out. But, how many of us would have the personal courage to do so. Once one speaks out, he has turned his entire extended family into targets. It could mean killing his own son or daughter, or both. Do YOU have that courage? I do not.
Therefore, I am VERY grateful to these brave people for their courageous act of speaking out. Their leader both a very courageous man, as well as a man who believes he can protect himself and his family.
I live in Florida, and have met quite a few very friendly Arab-Muslim and Palestinian-Muslim families. One family, in particular, moved from Israel to Florida, because the grandfather said back in the 50’s, that he foresees that if they stay there, his grand children will be forced into hating his Jewish friend’s grand children, and vice versa. He could not stand the thought of that, since for many generations his family had always been friendly with the Jews they lived alongside.
So, they moved to Florida, where the climate was one they liked, and they were near Jews, where they could raise their grand children to get along with and like the Jews.
To do this, they had to sell the land they owned in Israel, and received only pennies on the dollar for it, as Arabs/Palestinians who owned land were not paid well for the land they sold to the Jews.
The sad thing, is that over the years, he had to “Pose” as Egyptian to keep most of the Jews from hating him. For some reason Egyptians were okay, but Palestinians were hated. He came to make sure his grand children did not hate the Jews, and they had to live a lie to not be hated by the Jews.
So, no matter how some Arab/Palestinian Muslims feel, there ARE quite a few who do like us. I have met a bunch here in Florida.
through out History it was the Jewish and Muslim communities who for the most part had great relations
AND it was the Crisfians that caused all the world problems
Until the state of israel
jews and muslims have a lot in common. It’s great that some people can see past the differences.
This animosity between Jews and Muslims is very new. Historically, we always had much better relations with Muslims than with Chrisitans.
This is a very generous gesture on the part of the Scottish Islamic Foundation and one which should be welcomed by Jews and Muslims alike in Edinburgh. Many people do NOT know that the Jews and Muslims in and around Edinburgh have very good relations between their two communities. We have a very strong Edinburgh Interfaith Association and Edinburgh Women’s Interfaith Group and through both of which organisations we have learned much about each other and our Faiths and traditions and we have great respect for each other and our different beliefs. There is much we share in the field of ethics and we know we still have much to learn. Let this good and kind offer be the beginning of a much greater respect, each for the other. Salaam aleycom, Shalom aleichem, Peace be to you all.
we have friends who use drugs
they have friends who will do mass carnage and they do force!
uh why dont we gaurd our own shuls?????
Have you seen Martin Luther’s book “On Jews and their Lies”?? Luther is the founder of the Protestant Church. Hitler credits Luther in Mein Kampf as being his inspiration .
The Pope and the Bishops who instituted the Auto de Fe during the Inquisition were not very good Christian leaders in my opinion.
Don’t forget the mass expulsions, forced conversions and mass murders of European Jews in the seventh century which were encouraged by Christian leaders in retribution for killing Jesus.
Today there is a Pope who has reinstated the Old Latin Mass with its prayer for the conversion of the “perfidious Jews”.
How many millions of Jews have died in the name of Jesus? And how many millions were never born?
I cry for humanity people hating each other hurting each other and destroying each other the world is big enough for every one we all come from mud we are all going to mud people stop hating and start loving hate is twisted love is great to god crated is to go we shall return. For out actions we shall be questioned for it even the littlest grain we harmed shall testify against us don’t hate love. Instead of phobia go to the mosques churches sinagogs temples speak to the people leaders and unite Scotland is a country about freedom not hate