If In New York City Today, 08.25.2010

New York, NY -- According to investigators from the New York City Police Department, reported on Wednesday, August 25th, Ahmed H. Sharif, a yellow cab driver, was stabbed by a passenger on Tuesday evening for answering yes when asked if he was a Muslim. Police say the passenger asked the driver, "Are you Muslim?" When the driver said yes, the passenger pulled a knife and slashed him in the throat, arm, and lip.

This violent attack is particularly disturbing in the context of the toxic atmosphere of Islamophobia produced by opponents of the Park51 community project in Lower Manhattan, insistently but incorrectly referred to by its opponents (and much of the media) as the “Ground Zero Mosque.”

Documented cases of hate crimes against Muslims have been on the rise throughout the United States in recent months. The violent and racist rhetoric espoused by protestors at this weekend’s rallies near Ground Zero, including a near mob attack on an African-American bystander, are a fearful sign of potential violence to come.

Enough is enough. The New York City Coalition to Stop Islamophobia wholeheartedly supports Ahmed H. Sharif, the cab driver, and his family, and all other victims of anti-Muslim bigotry.

We call upon all New Yorkers to join us in denouncing the rising tide of Islamophobia in our city and our country, and to assure members of the Muslim community that we will stand with them in resisting this bigotry that has been unleashed.

We call upon the leaders of hate groups such as Stop Islamization of America (SIOA) and their supporters to end their campaign of venomous falsehoods, intimidation, and hate speech against the Park51 project and its supporters, as well as against the Muslim community more generally. SIOA is currently running similar venomous advertisements on taxis and buses around the U.S., including in cities where a majority of taxi drivers are from predominantly Muslim countries of origin. History has taught us that such inflammatory speech can only lead to violence, especially when the leaders of such groups speak admiringly of avowedly violent hate groups such as the English Defense League.

In particular, we call upon SIOA to stop politicizing the grief that all New Yorkers will feel this September 11th. Bringing a figure like Geert Wilders, who has been prosecuted in his home country of the Netherlands for his violent hate speech, to speak on September 11th is a deliberate provocation on what should be a solemn day of mourning. We hope all New Yorkers will join us in denouncing this incitement to further violence and hatred against our Muslim neighbors.

Finally, we call upon both local and national politicians, as well as media outlets, to stop using the so-called “Mosque Controversy” for partisan political ends, and to take a strong an unequivocal stance against Islamophobia.
The hate crime of stabbing a taxi driver because he identifies as Muslim is a clear expression of Islamophobia. All those who have played a role in encouraging the current climate of bigotry against Muslims share some of the responsibility for this attack. If Islamophobia is allowed to go unchallenged, we will see more violence against our neighbors. We invite all New Yorkers to join us to stop Islamophobia.
NYC Coalition to Stop Islamophobia is a grassroots organization comprised of concerned New Yorkers who have mobilized and will mobilize continually against racism, bigotry and hatred against our Muslim, Arab and South Asian communities. www.stopislamophobia.org or facebook at http://www.facebook.com/?tid=14147966494876&sk=messages#!/pages/Coalition-To-Stop-Islamophobia-in-America/145493942145957?ref=ts

JOIN in with this Coalition!! Past time to teach what this Country is supposed to be about and what real Religious Ideologies of Tolerance are!!

Tolerance is often easily perceived as insulting and I don't think it's fitting enough for welcoming neighbors of other religious beliefs, or any peaceful and just neighbors. How about [loving] them?

If it's a question of religion and we're of different religious beliefs, but both are peaceful, socially acceptable and caring, et cetera, then we can say that we won't adopt each others' different religious beliefs and will therefore tolerate the differences, all while also being able to love each other or each other's humanity.

I used to say "tolerate", but some reader post I read recently enough reminded that Jesus said to "love neighbors", instead of tolerating or only tolerating them; and it seemed like a fitting thing for someone to post.

People can tolerate their children while they do wrongful things and/or are obnoxious. We can put up with things that we really don't respect, but we can also use the word "tolerate" to mean respect. The word has several different meanings and can be interpreted as simply putting up with things we dislike and disagree with, but which aren't bad enough to act in order to stop them.

So love is better.

Tolerance is what the people acting in hostile ways towards our Muslim neighbors, or brothers and sisters, need to do. I don't need to tolerate someone being of another religion, but occasionally do need to tolerate inhospitable manners, as well as have needed to tolerate some people of the same religion that I am and that or who I don't like certain characteristics about; including enough to not want to relate with them at all after meeting them. And I posted several times over the past several years that there are plenty of Muslims who certainly are more Christian-like than many people who claim or profess to be Christian are. Many people who profess to be Christian are hardly Christian. Being baptized before we even realize that we live is not enough to be a real Christian.