Monday, January 15, 2007

Rabbi invited to Mosque on Martin Luther King Day

For the first time ever a Rabbi was invited to speak a prominent Manhattan mosque. The Rabbi who gave the talk was Rabbi Marc Schneier ( photo left), Rabbi of the NY Synagogue and a product of YU. The article explains: "Only in seeing the humanity within each other can we find it in ourselves," said Schneier, who is the author of "Shared Dreams: Martin Luther King and the Jewish Community. "After affirming common elements in their faiths - belief in the same deity, a shared lineage and acceptance of common prophets - Schneier and Imam Omar Abu Namous delivered a unified message: Muslims and Jews can and should get along."Our beliefs and principles are the same," said Abu Namous. "So why should we become selfish and attack each other? Or wrong one another?"But even in an atmosphere of tolerance, there was tension. Panelists agreed not to discuss controversies surrounding Israel or Middle Eastern politics. Hmm I wonder why? Now I'm no rabbi but I believe there is an issue with going into a church or mosque for that matter.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

According to haaretz, Rabbi Dr. Israel Singer also was to speak. Singer is a musmach of Torah Vodaas

Anonymous said...

Nothing wrong with going into a mosque, Islam is not Avodah Zarah. Church, on the other hand is a problem.