‘Wanted: Moderate Muslims’

The Muslim-Jewish Dialogue has existed in Los Angeles for many years. Monthly meetings were held with sometimes as many as 20 representatives in attendance. But in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, a bitter gulf has opened nationally between the two groups over the role U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East played in the terrorist acts. KAREN KARLITZ spoke with two community leaders about Jewish-Muslim relations in Los Angeles.

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I became affiliated with the Muslim-Jewish Dialogue of Los Angeles about two years ago. I recognized that Jews and Muslims knew very little about each others’ faiths, traditions, histories, cultures and psychological perceptions, and that that could lead to disruptive stereotyping and distrust. I saw the Dialogue as an opportunity to understand each other better and as a chance to represent our respective communities so that any misunderstandings that arose could be mollified.

But several events have shaken my trust in the group, so much so that I recently decided to leave the Dialogue.

The first was when the Muslim members unilaterally decided to withdraw, citing Middle East tensions as their reason. We were shocked and angry, but ultimately they did come back.

Then, in a special section of the September issue of Minaret--published by the Islamic Center of Southern California--called “Zionism and Racism,” two writers penned vicious attacks on Israel. At a subsequent Dialogue session, a Muslim member said he believes Zionism is racism, and another called Israel an apartheid racist state. That was the first time I heard comments like those from anyone in the Dialogue.

The final event for me was Salam Al-Marayati’s appearance on a radio talk show shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks, where in response to rumors that the attacks had been perpetrated by Muslim extremists, he said, “If we’re going to look at suspects, we should look at groups that benefit the most from these kinds of incidents. I think we should put the state of Israel on the suspect list because I think this diverts attention from what’s happening in the Palestinian territories so that they can go on with their aggression and occupation and apartheid policies.”

Al-Marayati wrote a letter to our Jewish Dialogue partners explaining that he didn’t intend to hurt Jewish feelings, but he never apologized and never retracted what he said. I personally don’t want to be part of a dialogue that considers people like this to be moderate leaders. I consider the Muslim Dialogue members to be extremists.

I welcome participation in a new Dialogue with moderate Muslim leaders. But for any dialogue to take place, there have to be minimal established conditions in which Dialogue partners recognize each other’s legitimate standing and existence as a people. And for Jews, this means Muslims must accept Israel. There is nothing to talk about if they believe Israel shouldn’t exist.