Orthodox Jew stabbed in French city of Strasbourg

An Orthodox Jew was stabbed in the stomach in broad daylight in the French city of Strasbourg on Friday, local authorities said, by an attacker who several witnesses said shouted an Islamic religious phrase. The 62-year-old man was recovering in hospital and his life was not in danger, a Strasbourg rabbi told Reuters. His assailant […]

Rabbi Wittenberg Reflects Post Nice On the Value of Life

Shalom New North London Erev Shabbat, 9 Tammuz 5776 Friday, 15 July 2016 Dear Community, I’ve just spoken to my colleague David Touboul, rabbi of the Masorti community in Nice. Mercifully, it seems his congregation are safe, though many were nearby when the attack took place. But poor people of Nice. Our thoughts are with […]

Azerbaijan Declares 2016, the Year of Multiculturalism

Not many people know about this nation surrounding the Caspian Sea. When some hear of Azerbaijan, they think about an exotic land and possibly about energy resources if they have kept abreast of news stories recently. Yet Azerbaijan has a deep history of tolerance towards other faiths and traditions. Many do not know that Azerbaijan […]

UN Secretary-General condemns rising anti-Muslim and anti-refugee bigotry

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the divisive myth-making of the far-right and the growing hostility towards Muslims,refugees, Jewish communities and other minorities. His remarks at a General Assembly meeting marked the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21. This growing hostility and violence is ‘manifested most directly in anti-refugee, anti-migrant and, in particular, anti-Muslim bigotry, attacks and violence’. As moderate parties harden their positions and far-right parties sow division. The Secretary-General’s grave tone bore the weight of Europe’s violent history. As the anti-refugee rhetoric mirrored ‘the darkest chapters of the last century’. Ban Ki-moon spoke a universal and pluralistic truth: that ‘an assault on one minority community is an attack on all’. And that requires us to speak out against antisemitism, anti-Muslim bigotry and other forms of hate. This year’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination also focuses on the challenges and achievements of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action promised a robust response to racism. Ratified in 2001, the framework raised concerns about growing antisemitism and Islamophobia. Point 150 “Calls upon States, in opposing all forms of racism, to recognize the need to counter anti-Semitism, [...]

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Facebook Founder’s Post Shows Why Jewish Muslim Relations Are Fundamental to Protect

Muslim and Jewish communities have so much in common. From food, to religious practices and to the fact that both communities live so closely in various parts of the globe, the history of Muslim and Jewish communities have always been intertwined. Sometimes these relationships have been strained because of Israel and Palestine, but on the

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Vandals daub swastikas and racist slogans on Jewish and Muslim graves in Austria

Vandals daubed swastikas and anti-migrant slogans on Muslim and Jewish graves over the weekend in western Austria. The perpetrators targeted the graves and building of a Jewish cemetery in the town of Hohenems, near the Swiss border. Police sources confirmed that swastikas appeared on its walls. Swastikas and racist graffiti also appeared at a Muslim cemetery in the nearby municipality of Altach. Police are linking this case to an earlier spate of vandalism against a refugee hostel and Jewish museum two weeks ago. Swastikas appeared on walls of the Jewish district, including the Jewish museum. The phrase “Stop the asylum flood” appeared on a refugee hostel. Hohenems mayor, Richard Amman, had recently received a letter from far-right extremists. He is also in a legal battle over the disputed mayoral elections with a candidate from the far-right Freedom Party (FPO). The FPO had claimed victory with 43.3 per cent; but a runoff secured Amman’s election with the smallest of margins. Back in Feburary, swastikas were daubed on the walls of a Vienna mosque,  as Austria prepared for its official Pegida-inspired march. Other recent incidents of Islamophobia and antisemitsm in Austria included an assault on two Jewish men, which included shouts of [...]

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Speech in St Paul’s By Tell MAMA on National Hate Crime Awareness Week, #NHCAW

“Islamophobia – a term that encompasses a range of meanings, though in general it is a term which means a fear of Islam and Muslim communities. People can fear many things, but the targeting and abuse of people because of a facet of their identity is unacceptable. It is unacceptable since at the heart of

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What is the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah?

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and commemorates the creation of the Earth. During this two day celebration, the traditional greeting “L’shanah tovah”… “for a good New Year” rings loud among members of Jewish communities. Ancient Hebrews relied upon the Torah, which celebrated it on the “seventh month” or Nisan. Passover also begins in Nisan. Today, Rosh Hashanah falls between September and October (or Tishrei). Jews believe that God weighs a person’s good and bad deeds over the previous year, and decides what the year ahead will bring. God records this information in the Book of Life. God seals this book on the festival of Yom Kippur. Rabbi Jonathan Romain, noted that the Book of Life created a  ‘theological catastrophe’ that created false assumptions and blame upon God for human deeds. Romain pointed to Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) 3.19 to remind Jews of their free will and agency in decisions that impact the year ahead. Rabbi Naftali Brawer reflected that this time of year creates of a paradox of comfort and fear under God’s scrutiny. He wrote “It is frightening, because under God’s scrutiny there is no place to hide. Indeed, this is the major theme of the [...]

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Barenboim Barred from Tehran Concert Bringing Israel & Iran In Agreement

It seems that the Israeli and Iranian Government have reached a consensus on what was to be a conference bringing mutual understanding through music. Daniel Barenboim’s work of trying to overcome cultural differences between Palestinian Arabs and Israeli Jews has meant that he has steadfastly used his music to bring together musicians from both communities […]

How Many Children Have To Die for Palestinians to Have Their Homeland?

We see the cycle of hatred, an Israeli Jewish couple murdered, Jewish settlers retaliate by running over innocent Palestinians and burning olive groups, apart from the harassment and humiliation they mete out to Palestinian farmers. A Jewish man is stabbed in the Old City by young Palestinians, whilst Palestinian children are shot and killed in cold blood […]