As nearly everyone now knows, the Clifton Ave Masjid (mosque) was bombed Tuesday night in an act of anti-islamism. You can read Steve Sunderland's piece about it below. I am planning to attend the weekly service, the regular sabbath observance, tomorrow, Friday at 12:50 (lasts until 1:30) to show respect and solidarity. You may want to join me.
This is a terrible thing. I know as a Jew, I would greatly appreciate gentiles attending my synagogue after such an act. You bet I'll be there!
Hugs,
Ellen
Steve says:Steve's Eloquent Letter about the bombing:
.... Tomorrow, (Friday) at 12:50pm, I will be joining afternoon
>services at the Clifton Mosque. Karen has shared with me the correct
>time; the service will end at about 1:30pm.
>
> Often we wonder just how we can make real our
>commitment to peace and justice. In a world that turns too often to
>violence, hijacks faiths for the purpose of violence, and attempts
>to threaten peace loving people, we are confused about just what we
>should do. I believe the simple act of standing with our neighbors
>as a statement of their right to safety and their right to worship,
>is a witness to all that is sacred about democracy and humanity. In
>this act of coming to the mosque, we transform our society into our
>deepest belief in the compassionate friendship of all. When is it
>ever safe to speak for justice? Now, is a good time.
>
>In peace,
>
>Steve Sunderland, Ph.D., Director
>Peace Village
>513.919.2538
(Wednesday, 21 December, 2005)
>Dear Friends:
>
> This morning at 9am my phone rang to the news that
>the Clifton Mosque, site of our September 10 meeting and the start
>of our annual interfaith walk, and the religious center for Muslims
>in our community, was twice bombed last evening. Ms. Karen Dabdoob,
>executive director of CAIR, a Moslem civil rights organization with
>a chapter in Cincinnati, was calling to tell me that her mosque was
>damaged by two bombs that destroyed part of the fronts of two
>mosques. Karen, an old friend, sounded frightened. She said: "I am
>organizing a press conference for 11am. Will you be there?" Karen
>had a sound of quiet panic in her request, aware that neither one of
>us could be assured that the meeting later this morning would be
>"safe" for either one of us.
>
> I agreed to be there and to bring or alert other
>members of the Peace Village. When I arrived at the mosque, the
>damage to the fronts of the buildings were clear. Inside the main
>mosque a crowd of police, federal and local, media, and religious
>and local political representatives were all in attendance and
>sharing their concerns with the media. As each person came forward
>to sit at a little table with a microphone, I sensed that we all
>were shocked by what had happened. Someone in our community had
>taken two pipe bombs and placed them in doorways and destroyed the
>entrances of these houses of worship.
>
> I stood next to Aneese Faradan, a local Iman (Islamic
>teacher/religious leader)and a vice president of MARC (Metropolitan
>Area Religious Coalition) a Cincinnati interreligious organization.
>Aneese and I had visited tsunami torn Indonesia earlier in the year
>and were warmly received by many of the Moslem representatives we
>found in Aceh and throughout Indonesia. Our eyes met, acknowledging
>that we were standing on very uncertain ground in this mosque. We
>hugged and listened to supportive talk after talk reaffirming the
>need for respecting Islam and offering support for those wounded by
>this violation of sacred space.
>
> Karen was very smooth in calling on one speaker after
>another, opening the floor to questions from the media, and
>indicating that religious practises would be going on as "normal" on
>Friday. The presentations by the FBI representative and the police
>chief indicated great interest but neither had any leads on who was
>responsible. Rev. Frank Carpenter, St. Johns Unitarian Church, and a
>recent host of a Peace Village/Moslem Mothers Against Violence
>meeting, was the last speaker. He spoke eloquently of the fact that
>he felt that this attack affected all of the "friends" of the
>mosque, including his and other churches that adjoined or were near
>the mosque.
>
> The great turnout of religious and civic leaders had
>meaning to many of us in attendance. "Cincinnati is not a violent
>city," Chip Harrod, director of the local chapter of the National
>Conference of Community and Justice, noted "and we have not been an
>intolerant city." Yet, something had changed overnight. Glass an
>wood were shattered along with the feeling that this section of the
>city was safe. Thankfully, no one was killed or injured from the
>bombs. But the City was deeply shaken.
>
> I plan on going to the Friday services at the Clifton
>Mosque at12:50 - 1:30. I urge all members of the Peace Village to join
>me. Let us try and take back this institution of worship. Let us
>show friendship and strength in caring to our Moslem brothers and
>sisters. Let us remind the general community that Moslems need not
>be either afraid of us nor fear that they will be left alone in
>recovery from this horrible event. I spoke, before I left, to the
>man who had worked so hard to build this mosque. He is an elderly
>gentleman, soft spoken, and friendly."I am so sorry for this
>violence,"I said to him. He looked me in the eye and said,"Don't
>worry. We have the strength to rebuild."
>
>In peace, salaam, shalom,
>
>Steve Sunderland, Director
>Peace Village
>513.9191.2538
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