Muslim Organizations Are Raising Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars for the Pittsburgh Synagogue Victims
Donald Trump has shown repeatedly, through his tweets, his immigration policies, and the people he chooses to empower and surround himself with, that he's openly antagonistic to American Muslims. And his tacit endorsements of George Soros and "globalist" related conspiracies (both terms are polite company shorthand for "Jewish") show that he's willing to promote anti-Semitism if it gets him votes and rally attendance.
It's not surprising, considering Trump's rhetoric, that the number of hate crimes committed nationally has spiked since his election. But in the wake of the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in modern U.S. history, Pennsylvania's Muslim communities are rushing to support Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue. One online campaign, organized by Muslim-led nonprofits, has already reached nearly $120,000. Per the Washington Post:
The shooting, which claimed the lives of 11 people Saturday during a morning service, “made me sick to my stomach,” said Tarek El-Messidi, a Muslim American speaker and activist who started the fundraising effort as soon as he heard about the attack. In the first six hours, the effort, called Muslims Unite for Pittsburgh Synagogue, reached its initial goal of $25,000.
“When I saw the news, I thought, ‘This could have very well been at a mosque or a Hindu temple,’ ” he said. “We live in a time where so much bigoted rhetoric is being amplified.”
El-Messidi plans to distribute the funds by partnering with the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh, which is organizing with Tree of Life. Executive director for the Center, Wasi Mohamed, told TIME, "Those who were stolen from us by this hateful person were like family." He added, "We feel obligated to follow this Prophetic tradition on standing up for the Jewish community."
Instances of interfaith support between Muslim and Jewish communities in the U.S. isn't new, but it's noteworthy that the support has continued as Trump-era hate crimes have skyrocketed. After an arsonist set fire to a Florida mosque in February of last year, Jewish donors pledged money in multiples of 18, an auspicious number in Jewish numerology. The same year, Muslims families raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for repairs after vandals desecrated Jewish cemeteries in Pennsylvania and Missouri.
