Muslims raise over $91,000 for vandalised Jewish cemetery in Missouri

[webfact]

Muslims raise over $91,000 for vandalised Jewish cemetery in Missouri

 

Local and national media report on more than 170 toppled Jewish headstones after a weekend vandalism attack on Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery in University City, a suburb of St Louis, Missouri, U.S. February 21, 2017. REUTERS/Tom Gannam

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Muslim Americans have helped raise more than $91,000 to repair vandalised headstones at a Jewish cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri, according to an online fundraising page, amid attacks and threats against Jewish institutions.

 

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence visited the graveyard on Wednesday and told clean-up volunteers, state officials and reporters that there was no place in America for hatred, violence, anti-Semitism or acts of prejudice.

 

"I must tell you the people of Missouri are inspiring the nation by your love and care of this place, for the Jewish community in Missouri and I want to thank you for that inspiration," Pence said.

 

About 170 headstones were toppled or damaged at the century-old Chesed Shel Emeth Society cemetery over the weekend, according to cemetery staff.

 

Some Jewish groups described the vandalism and threats as the latest evidence that anti-Semitic groups have been emboldened by the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president. His campaign last year drew the support of white nationalists and right-wing groups, despite his disavowals of them.

 

"Muslim Americans stand in solidarity with the Jewish-American community to condemn this horrific act of desecration," the fundraisers said on their website.

 

More than 3,000 people had donated $91,583 by late Wednesday afternoon. Cemetery staff declined comment on the fundraising.

Jewish community centres across the United States have reported a surge in bomb threats, all of which have so far proved to be hoaxes.

 

On Wednesday the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish advocacy group, said its national headquarters in New York City received an anonymous bomb threat but was later given the all clear.

 

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered state police to investigate and work with federal and local law enforcement. In a statement, Cuomo said the threats were "now a national crisis" because of their regularity.

 

Trump condemned the previous threats as anti-Semitism for the first time on Tuesday after repeatedly declining to do so when asked by journalists last week. Some Jewish organizations have criticized his approach.

 

The fundraising effort was launched by Linda Sarsour, a liberal political activist, and Tarek El-Messidi, the founding director of Celebrate Mercy, a non-profit organisation that teaches the public about Mohammad, the founder of Islam.

 

Sarsour was a supporter of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders in his bid to become the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, and was one of the organizers of the Women's March on Washington on Jan. 21, the day after Trump's inauguration.

 

(Reporting by Jonathan Allen and Gina Cherelus in New York; editing by Grant McCool)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-02-23

[DM07]

Waiting for TV's finest, to put a negative, anti- Muslim spin on this!

[nzrick]

What absolutely terrible reporting. Headline states "Muslims raise over 91,000...." yet in the text it states "Muslim Americans have helped raise 91,000".

 

So, which is it? Did Muslims themselves raise over 91,000, or did Muslim Americans help to raise 91,000?

 

Donation of $1 would count as helping to raise 91,000.

 

 

[piersbeckett]

28 minutes ago, DM07 said:

Waiting for TV's finest, to put a negative, anti- Muslim spin on this!

Why not state your spin or at least add something by way of comment?  My opinion is that of nzrick i.e. that the article is so poorly constructed that it tells us very little.

[ilostmypassword]

2 minutes ago, piersbeckett said:

Why not state your spin or at least add something by way of comment?  My opinion is that of nzrick i.e. that the article is so poorly constructed that it tells us very little.

Well, a little digging would tell you that Celebrate Mercy explains itself this way:

"CelebrateMercy aims to teach and instill the love of Prophet Muhammad's life and character through its interactive webcasts and videos, among Muslims and friends of other faiths."

And there's also this from their facebook page:

"Celebrate Mercy's founder Tarek El-Messidi discusses the #RestInPeace campaign on AJ+: Muslims raising money to repair a vandalized Jewish cemetery. Learn more about the campaign here:"

It's clearly an outreach done in the name of Islam. As for actually identifying the religious identity of each of the donors, how would you suggest that they do this?

[darksidedog]

Regardless of who donated exactly what, the main thread I get is that this was a Muslim initiative, that assisted a Jewish issue.

The next thing I take from this, is that there are good people from every walk of life and religion, who are at the end of the day just people.

The average Muslim, Christian, Catholic or Jew is a good hearted, law abiding, respectful citizen.

Sadly, the majority are often condemned by small minded bigots, who class the actions of a very small minority as typical of an entire group.

I am sure far more murders were committed last year in America by supposed Christians than Muslims, but publicising that does not fit in with the agenda of right wing nut jobs.

There are many things wrong with the world. This story shows there is hope for us all beneath the polluted surface, if you just stop and take the time to see it.

Edited February 23, 2017 by darksidedog

[NeilSA1]

Well done to those who have assisted in raising funds. Well done to the Muslims who supported this initiative.

It is necessary for Muslims to show the 'other' side of Islam to improve perceptions..

[FrancescoBiroute]

4 hours ago, nzrick said:

What absolutely terrible reporting. Headline states "Muslims raise over 91,000...." yet in the text it states "Muslim Americans have helped raise 91,000".

 

So, which is it? Did Muslims themselves raise over 91,000, or did Muslim Americans help to raise 91,000?

 

Donation of $1 would count as helping to raise 91,000.

 

 

You work for Trump, don't you?

 

[mike324]

4 hours ago, nzrick said:

What absolutely terrible reporting. Headline states "Muslims raise over 91,000...." yet in the text it states "Muslim Americans have helped raise 91,000".

 

So, which is it? Did Muslims themselves raise over 91,000, or did Muslim Americans help to raise 91,000?

 

Donation of $1 would count as helping to raise 91,000.

 

 

nit picking over a head line, if you read the article it answers your questions.... its not too hard to understand

[mike324]

4 hours ago, piersbeckett said:

Why not state your spin or at least add something by way of comment?  My opinion is that of nzrick i.e. that the article is so poorly constructed that it tells us very little.

What would you like to know?

 

The article is written clearly. Jewish cemetery vandalize, Muslim Americans help raise money to repair it. Anti-Semitics remark are on the rise.

 

President Trump finally said something this week about these anti-Semitic remarks / actions. He was fast to tweet about his daughters product line being dropped by a department store, which is an unimportant personal issue. But waited too long to make a statement on this issue.

 

Or are you thinking there is something more sinister going on with these Muslim Americans? thats not being written in the article?

[Jingthing]

Since the emergence of the trump regime, there has been a heartening much closer alliance between American Jews and American Muslims. Both religious or ethnoreligious small minority groups  that have experienced irrational hatred in a  largely Christian majority USA. A significant majority of American Jews (who are politically liberal) feel deeply that the trumpist Islamophobic Muslim ban (and certainly the hate speech rhetoric in his campaign) harkens back to the shameful U.S. immigration policies towards European Jewish refugees fleeing Hitler. 

 

No this isn't about any sympathy for actual terrorists or support for Sharia law. It's about basic human decency. Welcoming legitimate war refugees. Not defiling cemeteries. That sort of thing. 

Edited February 23, 2017 by Jingthing

[14Stevie]

Muslim Americans have helped raise more than $91,000 to repair vandalised headstones at a Jewish cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri, according to an online fundraising page, amid attacks and threats against Jewish institutions

Fantastic - long may this working together show to the radical extremists ON ALL SIDES that the will of the mainstream is united!!

 

8 hours ago, DM07 said:

Waiting for TV's finest, to put a negative, anti- Muslim spin on this!

 You DM07 want to look at yourself is the mirror angling for a "typist" confrontation with a comment like that.

 

[Fredward]

On 2/23/2017 at 1:23 PM, NeilSA1 said:

Well done to those who have assisted in raising funds. Well done to the Muslims who supported this initiative.

It is necessary for Muslims to show the 'other' side of Islam to improve perceptions..

I don't think it is necessary to do more than your part as a law abiding citizen of any society just because ignorant people can't distinguish between radicals and the average joe. It wouldn't be fair to you if you were a Christian and because of pedophilia in the church and murders in the name of your religion you then had to outwardly show how much of a good person you are due to the lack of intelligence of those condemning everyone in your religion. I think those ignorant people should go get an education or go do some research.

[DM07]

On Thursday, February 23, 2017 at 6:49 PM, 14Stevie said:

Muslim Americans have helped raise more than $91,000 to repair vandalised headstones at a Jewish cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri, according to an online fundraising page, amid attacks and threats against Jewish institutions

Fantastic - long may this working together show to the radical extremists ON ALL SIDES that the will of the mainstream is united!!

 

 You DM07 want to look at yourself is the mirror angling for a "typist" confrontation with a comment like that.

 

Trying to figure out, what you are trying to say, but...judging from some reactions...I was right!