The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding::Muslim Jewish

On March 27, 2012 FFEU joined with Muslim and Jewish leaders from Latin America in Washington D.C. The Mission was intended to introduce Latin American imams and rabbis to the pioneering work spearheaded by FFEU to strengthen Muslim-Jewish relations in North America and Europe, and to jump-start a process of dialogue and cooperation between the Muslim and Jewish communities throughout Latin America.

March 14, 2012- JCC Conversations "Combating Islamophobia"

Photos by Nancy Adler

On Wednesday, March 14th, Rabbi Marc Schneier, President of The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding and Imam Shamsi Ali, former spiritual leader of the Islamic Cultural Center of New York were joined by Chelsea Clinton who moderated a discussion between them on “Combating Islamophobia.” The sold out event at the JCC in Manhattan was attended by many leaders of the American Muslim and Jewish communities from New York, Washington, DC and California.

December 28, 2011- FFEU President Rabbi Marc Schneier met with the King of Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa

Schneier said that he welcomed a suggestion by King Hamad to host a gathering of Jewish and Muslim clerics in Bahrain in 2012.“Bahrain is a role model in the Arab world for coexistence and tolerance of different faith communities, including a small Jewish community. I am deeply honored to be the first rabbi to be hosted by the King of Bahrain at his palace, and I am excited that he and his government are fully committed to building bridges between our two communities,” Schneier said in a statement."

November 18-20, 2011-More than 250 synagogues, mosques and Muslim and Jewish organizations and thousands of Jews and Muslims in countries around the world—including new ones like Australia, Argentina, Georgia and Ukraine—took part in the Fourth Annual Weekend of Twinning. This year, in addition to mosques, synagogues and student groups, two new forms of twinning became prominent; twinning between Muslim and Jewish young professionals and twinning between Muslim and Jewish women, which took place in Paris, London, Brussels, Jerusalem, Toronto, New York, Atlanta and Kiev, Ukraine. At the same time, there was a greatly increased focus on community service, as Muslims and Jews in many cities came together to feed hungry and homeless people as an expression of the moral imperative in both faiths to repair the world and succor those who are most in need

Brussels, November 2011- FFEU President Rabbi Marc Schneier attended the World Jewish Congress Executive Committee Meeting .

Friday, June 17th- FFEU President Rabbi Marc Schneier addressed a group of 25 young Muslim leaders from across the United States at a breakfast meeting in New York. The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) sponsored the gathering of these young leaders on a media tour from Washington, DC to New York. Salam Al-Maryati, Executive Director of MPAC and Walter Ruby, FFEU Muslim Jewish Program Officer were also in attendance.

Europe Day 2011, Sunday May 8- Jews and Muslims in France, Britain and 8 other countries across Europe delivered a clear message in commemoration of Europe Day, marking the defeat of Nazism 66 years ago; they stood in united opposition to Islamophobic, anti-Semitic and racist appeals being increasingly injected into European body politic by extremist political movements, and also oppose pandering to those movements by mainstream leaders; a rebuke to British Prime Minister David Cameron, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, all of whom have in recent months made speeches condemning multiculturalism in their countries.

March 8, 2011—FFEU and the World Jewish Congress joined forces again in Europe for the first coordinating committee meeting of European Muslim and Jewish leaders. These same leaders who gathered at the meeting in Brussels in December joined together to express their common will to stand up to rising ultra-right political parties in Europe. At the meeting, they adopted a declaration in which they say it is unacceptable to trivialize these racist and xenophobic parties and warn against the growing danger they pose to ethnic and religious minorities on the continent. The coordinating council of Islamic and Jewish leaders from Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the United States and other countries also announced it will launch a series of public events in European capitals on May 9 in honor of Europe Day.

Brussels, December 6, 2010—Leaders of Muslim and Jewish communities from across
Europe came together in Brussels for a historic conference focused on how the
two communities can work together on a continent-wide basis. Muslim and Jewish leaders from France, Britain, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Bosnia-Herzogovina discussed the common stake for the two communities in developing Europe-based principles of democracy and pluralism. They promised to work together to oppose Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and other expressions of bigotry and xenophobia. At the opening session of the Gathering, Iman Dr. Abduljalil Sajid from Britain recited prayers for the victims of the recent Carmel forest fire in Israel as well as the floods in Pakistan. A delegation from the Gathering met with the president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, who expressed strong support for the group’s efforts. At the close of the meeting, the European Jewish and Muslim leaders issued a declaration calling for closer cooperation between the two communities in Europe and urging steps “to ensure that Jews and Muslims are able to practice our respectiven faiths fully and unimpeded by intrusive, discriminatory and unfair governmental regulations.” Rabbi Schneier remarked, “Today, we have hopefully kick-started a movement that will spread across Europe. The recipe really is quite simple: our two communities must focus more on what unites us than what separates us. We also must restrain the radicals within our own ranks and make sure they don’t gain the upper hand.” Dr. Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, declared: “I think it is very important that Jews and Muslims start talking more with each other, and less about the other. Pointing the finger at the other side and accuse it of being the root cause of all evil on this planet may be easy and convenient, but most of the time it is wrong - and counter-productive.” The gathering was co-organized with the World Jewish Congress and the European Jewish Fund

Paris, December 8, 2009—Rabbi Marc Schneier was keynote speaker at the dinner gala of the Amitie Judeo-Musulmane de France (Muslim Jewish Friendship Society of France.) Speaking before an audience of rabbis, imams and Muslim and Jewish leaders from across Europe who gathered at the glittering City Hall of the 16th Arondissement, Rabbi Schneier praised the pioneering work of Rabbi Michel Serfaty of the AJMF. Rabbi Serfaty brought together 20 mosques and 20 synagogues in France to take part in the FFEU-sponsored 2nd Annual Weekend of Twinning. Rabbi Schneier said, “At a time when the conventional wisdom says that our two peoples must live in perpetual conflict, Rabbi Serfaty and the AJMF are showing that there is a much better way. We are gratified that this is happening not only in France, where conflict between Muslims and Jews has been especially intense, but across Europe as well.” The gala was co-sponsored by the CRIF (the umbrella body of French Jewry), the Great Mosque of Paris, the Consistoire (Rabbinate) of Greater Paris and the European Jewish Fund. The event was both a celebration of what FFEU and its European partners have accomplished together during the past year and an opportunity to chart future FFEU work with Jewish and Muslim leaders in the years ahead.

New York and Washington, DC, July 19-17, 2009: Mission of European Imams and Rabbis to the US

FFEU took its first major step to turn its Muslim Jewish initiative from a North American movement to a world-wide one, when it hosted a delegation of over two dozen European imams and rabbis in a memorable four-day mission. The imams and rabbis from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom attended meetings in New York and Washington, D.C. They visited the United Nations, Ellis Island, Ground Zero and the U.S. Holocaust Museum, and met with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, top officials of the Obama Administration at the White House, and Jewish and Muslim congressmen on Capitol Hill. They even had the chance to cheer on the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

Throughout the mission, the imams and rabbis were introduced to successful US-based interfaith initiatives that could also be implemented in their own countries in order to facilitate and encourage a dialogue. At the end of the mission, the participating imams and rabbis issued a declaration promising to take part in the 2nd Annual Weekend of Twinning of Mosques and Synagogues in November, 2009. “Bringing together Muslims and Jews is among the greatest challenges facing our communities today,” said Rabbi Schneier. “By expanding to Europe what has already been a successful and groundbreaking twinning initiative in North America, we will together combat Islamophobia and anti-Semitism, promote mutual understanding and productive cooperation through dialogue

New York, May 21, 2009: Standing Together to condem U.S. Terrorist Plot

Joining together for a press conference after the completion of a prayer service at the Islamic Cultural Center, Rabbi Marc Schneier and Shamsi both strongly condemned the alleged plot by four men arrested
after planting what they thought were explosives near two New York City synagogues. In addition, Rabbi Schneier presented letters denouncing the alleged plot he had just received from Dr. Sayyid Syeed, National Director of the Islamic Society of North America and Salam Al-Maryati, Executive Director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council. In his letter Dr. Syeed noted pointedly, “The Quran commands Muslims to respect and protect all places of worship including mosques, churches, synagogues and temples, as well as the worshippers within.” Mr. Al-Maryati stated, “On behalf of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, I want to demonstrate solidarity with you and all Jewish Americans against any attack motivated by anti-Semitism.”

2005:The Foundation Launches Muslim-Jewish Dialogue Initiative

At the urging of our Chairman, Russell Simmons, and President, Rabbi Marc Schneier, The Foundation has launched a Muslim-Jewish Dialogue initiative in 2005, leading two high profile Muslim-Jewish symposia. On October 30, 2005, The Daniel Pearl Dialogue for Muslim-Jewish Understanding was presented at The Museum of Jewish Heritage in conjunction with The Tribeca Film Institute. The program, co-sponsored by The Foundation, was introduced by Rabbi Schneier and Russell Simmons. Soon after, on November 16, 2005, Rabbi Schneier got a warm welcome at the largest Muslim dayschool in Queens, the Razi School.

Rabbi Schneier was the featured speaker at the Razi School event which was organized by Walter Ruby, Boris Pincus and Dr. Ghassan El-Cheikhali of Religions in Dialogue, an organization dedicated to interfaith education. Rabbi Schneier spoke on the similarities and differences between Islam and Judaism to an audience of 200 students in grades 8 through 12. Students were given chance to ask questions and took the opportunity to quiz the Rabbi on topics as diverse (and controversial!) as modesty and dress for women to co-habitation before marriage and the nature of Jewish prayer. Other distinguished guests included Sayu Bhojwani, the Mayor's Deputy Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs and Razi School principal Dr. Ghassan El-Cheikhali who greeted the audience with a message of optimism and reciprocity, "The best way to increase tolerance is to listen to each other's stories and build relationships." New York Newsday and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency both covered this historic event.

Stressing the necessity of reconciliation, Professors Judea Pearl and Akbar Ahmed strive to shift the nature of discourse from accusation and fear to inquiry and respect at the Daniel Pearl Dialogue for Muslim-Jewish Understanding. Doctors Pearl and Ahmed have been engaged in public dialogues across the country and abroad. The world came to know Daniel Pearl as the Wall Street Journal reporter who was murdered by terrorists in Pakistan, in early 2002. Since then, he has been remembered more for his courageous work than for his senseless death. Guided by shared values and inspired by Daniel's legacy, Professors Judea Pearl and Akbar Ahmed discussed Muslim-Jewish relations with a New York City audience for the first time. A highlight of their past dialogues was an appearance at the House of Lords in London, where they were welcomed by a Jewish, a Muslim, and a Christian Lord.

Judea Pearl, father of Daniel Pearl, is President of the Daniel Pearl Foundation. The foundation was formed by Daniel's family and friends to continue his mission and to address the root causes of his death, in the spirit, style, and principles that shaped Daniel's work and character. Judea Pearl is the Director of UCLA's Cognitive System's Laboratory. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn.

Akbar Ahmed, is the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies and Professor of International Relations at American University in Washington, DC and the former High Commissioner of Pakistan to Great Britain. Dr. Ahmed is a distinguished anthropologist, writer, and filmmaker. He has been actively involved in interfaith dialogue and the study of global Islam and its impact on contemporary society for many years. Dr. Ahmed is a regular syndicated columnist for Religion News Service.