Hitting the internet today is a GoFundMe campaign to help the Islamic Center of Tucson replace destroyed and damaged copies of the Qur’an. A man reportedly broke into the Center and vandalized the prayer books. TPD is conducting an investigation.
Some asked if the fund is legit, so I emailed it and received a call from Marty Johnston. He and Stephanie Roberts started the fun and both are members of the Tucson Jewish community and board members of Congregation Anshei Israel.
The fund is at $3,737 of its $14,400 goal. From the fund’s page:
It was a heck of a weekend. First, on Friday, the Jewish Community Center received a bomb threat and went on lockdown.
Then, early Monday morning, around 3:30 a.m. a man broke in to the Islamic Center Tucson, and destroyed and damaged copies of the Qur’an. See the news story here.
Tucson is better than this!
I’m a Tucson Jew, and I’ve been welcomed at the Islamic Center Tucson, as well as the Muslim Community Center. A Jewish friend (Stephanie) said we needed to help. So here goes…
There are Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, Bahá’í , Atheists, Agnostics and others in Tucson who love our Muslim brothers and sisters, Though we may have different beliefs, we want them to be safe, and never to have to pray in fear.
Let’s come together and replace the damaged copies of the Holy Qur’an, and show our Muslim neighbors that they are indeed our brothers and sisters.
I don’t have exact amounts on the replacement or repair costs. If we have extra money, I’ll use it for Jewish-Muslim / Muslim-Jewish peacebuilding events.
Thanks in advance.
Anything helps.
Help spread the word!
This article appears in Mar 9-15, 2017.
Marty Johnston is quirky, to say the least. He harassed my campaign for school board member at length for anti-Semitism because of my pro-Palestinian activism, then denigrated those who rose to my defense. But I’ve got to hand this one to him–GREAT IDEA MARTY AND STEPHANIE–the best way to resist is to NOT be dragged down into the mud with the people who are demonizing both of these faiths. I will be donating, hope everyone who reads this will be too.
“Pro-Palestinian” meaning you support the Palestinian terrorists taking all the humanitarian aid, money, supplies, and support, and building terror-tunnels to attack, kill, maim, and capture Israeli women, children, and men?
Perhaps that’s not something to be so proud of. Perhaps if the Palestinians would embrace peace and a two-state (or one-state or three-state… really I don’t care) solution to end the terrorism and the violence, then being pro-Palestinian would be the same as pro-Palestine, which is a more ideal ending.
Best
E
Thanks for the vote of confidence on this issue, Betts. I know we are very different, and both quirky.
I remain steadfast in my belief that a Jewish national homeland in our ancestral homeland with self-determination is essential to our survival. I think where we disagree is on how Jews should treat our Palestinian brothers and sisters, how we view the conflict, and how we acheive peace. We both share the notion that many acts from Israeli Jews are deplorable, illegal and immoral. I question whether you view similar acts from Palestinian Muslims as deplorable, illegal or immoral, or if you see them as legitimate tools of resistance to the Post 1967 Occupation.
I don’t think I contacted your campaign directly, but I did alert media and voters that Betts had participated in protests that I thought were over the line – picketing a Jewish Community Center and scaring pre-school kids, and you aligned with or supportive of groups which dismissed the deaths of Jews in terror attacks. One group you partnered with was described as minimizing the Nazi Holocaust. Serious stuff. But we can disagree, and I think we both assume the other has positive intentions. At least I assume your intentions are positive, loving, and hopeful of peace.
I hope that my affection for the Muslim community shows you that I share those intentions, despite our differences.
I’ve said before that I think you’d make a great school board member, except for the fact that I would be afraid that middle east politics might get in the way vis a vis curriculum, and that disqualifies you from serving.
I don’t believe I denigrated anyone, but if you’d like to send me comments that people found offensive, I’d be happy to review them. I struggle with reacting instead of responding. I work on that. Especially when people tell lies about me, as your supporters did in some posts. (e.g. that I think Israel can do no wrong.)
_____
I am thrilled that Betts and I have found agreement on this issue and hope that we can work together in the future. G-d willing/B’ezrat Hashem/InshAllah, we can participate in a Muslim-Jewish/ Jewish-Muslim PeaceWalk event.
Ehud –
I don’t think Betts is happy with Palestinian leadership or the oppression of women, gays, or other minorities in the Palestinian Authority areas in Gaza or the West Bank. I think these are concerns, but that she may view and end to the post ’67 occupation as a panacea, or that the Occupation may overshadow those concerns.
My concern is that she seems to have aligned herself with groups that have legitimized a number of things I disagree with. These groups legitimize a host of things, from blanket economic sanctions which punish Jews and Non-Jews, including Muslims and Christians through well-intended but faulty BDS efforts, to the idea that terrorist violence against civilians is a legitimate tool of resistance.
I think she and I both hope and long for peace, but by different means, and I fear that she does not fully realize the fears that we as Jews have of annihilation. At least her support of certain organizations seems to indicate an indifference toward Jewish continuity in the pursuit of peace.
I hope that as we Jews hear and listen to the complaints of our Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, brothers and sisters, we will be sensitive as well to their hopes and fears.
Until then, For Zion’s sake, I cannot be silent; If I forget Jerusalem, may I lose my capacity for other good speech and good deeds.
Marty