Muslim & Jewish faith leaders come together to discuss peace, unity with New York college students

CBS New York

By Jennifer Bisram
November 2, 2023

Imam Shamsi Ali and Rabbi Marc Schneier met with Muslim students at Lehman College as part of their ongoing efforts to address antisemitism and Islamophobia and promote tolerance and understanding amid the Israel-Hamas war.

 

NEW YORK — As the Israel-Hamas war continues, faith leaders from both the Muslim and Jewish faiths came together Thursday to talk with college students in the Bronx, hoping to promote peace.

They met with Muslim students at CUNY’s Lehman College.

“We feel as religious leaders in our communities, both communities, Jewish and Muslims, we feel a sense of responsibly to bring together students,” said Imam Shamsi Ali, from Jamaica Muslim Center.

Rabbi Marc Schneier and Imam Shamsi Ali say the discussion was needed after a rise in threats against Jewish and Muslim students at college campuses and universities in New York, including at Cornell University, where a student was charged this week with making threats against Jewish students.

“Both communities are victims … Antisemitism is rising, Islamophobia is also on the rise. And that’s the reason why we feel that we must come together because this is our common enemy,” Ali said.

The talks of peace, unity and understanding started Saturday as the rabbi and imam met Jewish students from Baruch College, John Jay College and Pace University.

“In the midst of this raging war in Gaza, we cherish our freedoms to protest and demonstrate, but we cannot cross the line when it comes to violence, when it comes to intimidation, when it comes to harassment, when it comes to confrontation. We can agree to disagree without being disagreeable,” said Schneier, president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding.

Over two dozen students gathered Thursday, listening and even asking questions, with two religious leaders from two different backgrounds coming together for one cause.

“Compassion, advancing human dignity, respect for justice, that’s what we want,” Ali said.

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