A Message of Hope and Solidarity to our Jewish Colleagues and Friends
14/10/2025
On behalf of the East West Foundation, we wish to extend our heartfelt congratulations and express our profound relief at the news of the release of the hostages. We are overjoyed that they will be reunited with their families and loved ones. This is a significant moment of hope, an answer to the prayers of so many around the world.
We want to sincerely thank you for your prayers and unwavering spirit throughout this deeply painful conflict. Your faith and resilience in the face of such adversity have been a testament to the strength of your community.
As we celebrate this positive development, we join you in praying with renewed hope for a lasting and just peace in the region. May this be a pivotal step toward ending the violence and fostering a future where all people can live in security and dignity.
We stand with you in solidarity, committed to our shared pursuit of peace and mutual understanding.
Statement of Solidarity and Support for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
On behalf of the East-West Foundation, I extend our deepest condolences and unwavering support to the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints following the tragic attack on September 28, 2025, at the Grand Blanc, Michigan chapel.
We are heartbroken by the senseless violence that claimed four innocent lives and injured eight others as they gathered in worship. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, the survivors recovering from their injuries, and the entire LDS community as they grieve this profound loss.
This attack represents an assault not only on a particular faith community, but on the fundamental principles that bind us together as a diverse society: the right to religious freedom, the right to peaceful assembly, and the sanctity of places of worship. When violence strikes at houses of prayer—where people seek peace, meaning, and connection—it threatens the very foundation of our civil society.
The East-West Foundation stands firmly in solidarity with our LDS neighbors. We categorically condemn all forms of religiously motivated hatred and violence. No individual or community should ever fear for their safety while practicing their faith. Places of worship must remain sanctuaries of peace, reflection, and community.
In this dark moment, we are reminded that our shared humanity transcends our differences. We call upon all people of goodwill—regardless of faith tradition or background—to stand together against hatred, to protect one another’s rights to worship freely, and to build bridges of understanding across our communities.
To our LDS brothers and sisters: you are not alone. We stand with you in grief, and we will stand with you in the healing to come.
May the memories of those lost be a blessing, and may their community find strength and comfort in this difficult time.
10-1-2025
A Statement of Muslim Solidarity with the Jewish Community Against Antisemitism and All Forms of Hatred
Standing Together in Defense of Human Dignity
We, as Muslim Americans and allies, stand in unwavering solidarity with our Jewish neighbors, colleagues, and fellow citizens in the face of rising antisemitism and all manifestations of hatred that threaten the fabric of our diverse democracy. The recent surge in antisemitic incidents across our nation—from vandalism of synagogues and Jewish institutions to harassment of Jewish students on college campuses, from online hate speech to physical violence—represents an assault not only on the Jewish community but on the fundamental values that define America at its best.
Our Shared Experience
As Muslims, we understand intimately the pain of being targeted for our faith, our identities, and our commitment to our religious traditions. We have experienced the sting of discrimination, the weight of suspicion, and the fear that comes with being made to feel like strangers in our own country. This shared experience of marginalization does not create a hierarchy of suffering, but rather a profound recognition that hatred directed at any religious community threatens the safety and dignity of all religious communities. We appreciate the solidairy of the Jewish community in helping us to assert our rights and uphold the dignity of our faith after the tragic events of 11 September 2001.
We reject categorically any attempt to instrumentalize our own experiences of discrimination to minimize, dismiss, or excuse antisemitism. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, and we will not allow our legitimate concerns about Islamophobia to be weaponized against our Jewish neighbors, nor will we permit antisemitism to flourish in our communities under any guise.
Rooted in Abrahamic Fraternity
Our solidarity is not merely political convenience but flows from the deepest wellsprings of our faith tradition. Islam teaches us that the People of the Book—including our Jewish brothers and sisters—are deserving of respect, protection, and fellowship. The Quran reminds us that God created humanity in diverse nations and tribes so that we might know one another, and the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, established covenants of mutual protection with Jewish communities. Our theological commitment to justice (adl), compassion (rahma), and human dignity (karama) compels us to stand against hatred wherever it appears.
We affirm that true Islamic piety cannot coexist with antisemitism, just as true Jewish observance cannot coexist with Islamophobia. Both traditions call us to pursue justice, care for the vulnerable, and work for the common good. These shared values create not only the possibility but the necessity of alliance against all forms of bigotry and hatred.
Defending American Values
As Americans, we understand that religious freedom is not a zero-sum game. The First Amendment protects all of us or it protects none of us. When Jewish Americans face discrimination in employment, harassment in public spaces, or exclusion from civic life, the constitutional principles that safeguard our own religious practice are under attack. When Jewish students are made to feel unwelcome on college campuses, when Jewish families fear for their safety in their neighborhoods, when Jewish institutions require increased security measures, the pluralistic democracy we all cherish is diminished.
We categorically reject any interpretation of American identity that would make second-class citizens of Jewish Americans—or any Americans—based on their religious faith, ethnic heritage, or ancestral origins. We stand firm in our conviction that America’s strength lies not in the dominance of any single group but in the creative tension and mutual enrichment that flows from our diversity.
Beyond Tolerance to Active Partnership
Our commitment extends far beyond mere tolerance or the absence of animosity. We call for active partnership in building a more just and equitable society for all Americans. This means working together to combat not only antisemitism and Islamophobia but all forms of religious, racial, and ethnic hatred. It means joining forces to protect voting rights, defend immigrants and refugees, address economic inequality, and confront the climate crisis that threatens our shared future.
We recognize that such partnership requires honest dialogue about difficult issues. We commit to engaging these conversations with nuance, empathy, and with a recognition that it must never become a license for hatred against entire peoples or religious communities.
A Call to Action
We call upon Muslim Americans in every community to:
- Speak out immediately whenever antisemitic incidents occur in our neighborhoods, schools, or workplaces
- Educate ourselves and our children about Jewish history, Jewish contributions to American society, and the particular manifestations of antisemitism in our contemporary context
- Build genuine relationships with Jewish neighbors, colleagues, and organizations based on mutual respect and shared values
- Support Jewish-led initiatives to combat antisemitism and promote interfaith understanding
- Challenge antisemitic rhetoric wherever we encounter it, including within our own communities and institutions
We call upon all Americans of conscience to recognize that the fight against antisemitism is not a “Jewish issue” but an American issue that requires the active engagement of citizens from all backgrounds. We call upon elected officials, law enforcement agencies, educational institutions, and civil society organizations to take concrete action to protect Jewish Americans and all vulnerable communities from hatred and violence.
Our Enduring Commitment
This statement represents not a momentary gesture but an enduring commitment rooted in our deepest values and our vision of American democracy. We pledge to stand with our Jewish neighbors not only in moments of crisis but in the ongoing work of building beloved communities where all can thrive. We pledge to model the kind of interfaith cooperation and mutual respect that our traditions demand and our democracy requires.
We understand that words alone are insufficient. This statement must be followed by sustained action, by changed hearts and minds, by policies that protect the vulnerable, and by a culture that celebrates rather than fears our diversity. We commit ourselves to this work with the same determination that has sustained our own communities through periods of trial and discrimination.
In Faith and Solidarity
The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice only when people of conscience bend it. Today, we choose to stand on the side of justice, dignity, and human flourishing. We choose to stand with our Jewish neighbors against antisemitism and all forms of hatred. We choose to affirm that America’s promise extends to all her children, regardless of their faith, their ancestry, or their place of origin.
In this commitment, we find not only political alliance but spiritual calling. In defending the dignity of our Jewish neighbors, we defend the dignity of all. In working for their security and flourishing, we work for the security and flourishing of all humanity. In standing together against hatred, we stand together for love.
This is our witness. This is our commitment. This is our sacred obligation to one another and to the democratic ideals we share.
This statement represents the collective voice of Muslim Americans committed to interfaith solidarity, social justice, and the protection of all religious communities from hatred and violence. We invite all people of conscience to join us in this commitment to building a more just and peaceful society.
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