A Muslim group has taken out full-page adverts in national newspapers, talking about the importance of combating antisemitism and how their own “future peace, security and prosperity in this great country cannot be ensured while Jewish communities feel under threat”.
The advertisement, which appeared in the Telegraph yesterday and the Times today, is due to appear in the Mail and the Metro on Monday.
It has been produced by a new created group called Muslims Against Antisemitism (MAAS).
“We understand that many in our country empathise with the plight of the Palestinians and their right to a sovereign state,” the advert reads.
“We welcome the defence of the rights of all people. However, we must be ever vigilant against those who cynically use international issues to vilify Jews or promote antisemitic tropes. There is no cause that can justify the promotion of hate.”
The advert was signed by a number of prominent Muslim figures, including Fiyaz Mughal, director of the Faith Matters interfaith group and the founder of MAAS; Ayesha Hazarika, the broadcaster and political commentator; and Iman Atta, director of the Tell Mama Islamophobia watchdog.
“Many Muslims feel deep despair at the antisemitism that is online and in the real world,” Mr Mughal told the JC.
“Jewish brothers and sisters are feeling a sense of isolation and dislocation when they are singled out for hate. This is especially painful for Muslims who believe that there is so much that binds us as Muslims and Jews together.
“We are also clear that antisemitism from segments of Muslim communities needs to be challenged and robustly challenged.”
He said that the newspaper campaign was the first step.
“This is the beginning of the work as we ask more Muslims to join in on the struggle against antisemitism, and with the same vigour as they challenge anti-Muslim hate.”
Laurence Brass, former treasurer of the Board of Deputies, who is on the board of Faith Matters, said: “I am so proud of my Muslim friends and colleagues who initiated these ground-breaking adverts.
“They have proved that despite the pessimists and the cynics our two communities do have a common narrative.
“These adverts have given an enormous boost to all of us who work to promote interfaith relations. I feel privileged to be associated with this inspiring initiative.”
Today in the Times. Yesterday in the Telegraph and today in the Times. We are sending out a CLEAR message that those wo seek to divide communities, who use terms and malicious tactics to divide Muslims and Jews will NEVER succeed. pic.twitter.com/V5V5Bj23ji
— MAAS (@MAAS_UK) May 18, 2018
The advert ends by stating: “To our Jewish sisters and brothers, we say the struggle against one of history’s oldest and most virulent hatreds is not your fight alone but ours collectively.
“In peace, we say these words: Hiney ma tov u’ma-nayim. Shevet ach’im gam ya-chad”
The phrase, a famous one in Hebrew which comes from Psalm 133, means: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity."
