Why did JCC Indianapolis organize “We Refuse to Be Enemies?”

“I wanted to bring Sabeeha Rehman and Walter Ruby to Indianapolis because this is a difficult time for both Muslims and Jews around the world and in our community,” said Camille Arnett, director of arts and education at JCC. “They are experts in creating safe and brave interfaith spaces and have more than 40 years of advocacy and work between them.”

Arnett said that building relationships across marginalized lines takes trust and time. 

“I’m hopeful that this can be a first step in equipping our community members with the tools to build those connections and to be and find supportive neighbors from all walks of life,” she said.

What can we do? 

1. Show up for the other, show courage, and acknowledge the other’s pain even if you disagree. Ask with an open heart, and invite each other for opportunities to connect
2. Be an upstander, watch out for your fellow people. 
3. Counsel your children, listen to their concerns and questions and help them understand the conflict, but don’t give them more than they asked for. Caution against making ethnic remarks, and guide them on how to respond when bullied. 
4. Organize small, interfaith prayer groups and forums like Torah-Quran study groups.  
5. Raise awareness about commonalities between Muslims and Jewish people.
6. Leaders of each side shouldn’t blame one another. 

“We Refuse To Be Enemies: A Conversation with Sabeeha Rehman and Walter Ruby” 

Venue and speakers: 

The Jewish Community Center (JCC) has served the Indianapolis community for over 100 years, with an emphasis on a multi-generational, inclusive environment for people to play, connect and learn. The JCC offers exercise facilities, childcare, a greenspace with a community garden and various cultural events. 

Sabeena Rehman is a Muslim-American interfaith public speaker, author, and activist. She immigrated to the United States from Pakistan in 1971. Her upbringing was starkly pro-Palestinian and she had little interaction with Jewish people until her move to NYC. 

Walter Ruby is an activist in Muslim-Jewish relations. By 2010, when the two authors met, Ruby had been the Muslim-Jewish program director at the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding for two years. Ruby said he did not meet a Muslim person until his 20s and, despite living in Israel for several years, had little exposure to Palestine.  

Introduction: 

Camile Arnett, director of arts and education at the JCC, opened the meeting by saying that the relationship between the Muslim and Jewish faiths is an unavoidable conversation. Her goal for programs like this is to work across lines of religious differences without the assumption to ignore or put aside differences. 

“Ultimately, none of us can solve problems overseas or fix our own democracy,” Arnett said. “We can be supportive neighbors and advocates, and have these difficult conversations based on a foundation of mutual trust and respect.”

Opening statement: 

Ruby said that he is devastated and traumatized by the conflict in Gaza. There is no time to lose in rebuilding communication and friendship between the Jewish and Muslim communities, he said.

“Together, we appeal for an end to the violence, and a just solution to the conflict guaranteeing peace, security and self-determination for every Palestinian and Israeli,” Ruby said. “We refuse to slink back into our respective tribal corners and demonize the other.” 

How to find common ground:

Rehman suggests that common ground could come from transitioning celebrating identities first to recognizing more than one identity.

“There are no two religions that are ideologically similar than Judaism and Islam,” Rehman said. “There are no two religious communities that are more politically apart than the Palestinian and Israeli issues.” 

Rehman listed four principles found in both religions: 

1. If one life is saved, then all of humanity is saved. If one life is destroyed, then all lives are destroyed. 
2. Welcome the stranger.
3. Help those most in need.
4. Stand up for each other.

Challenges to interfaith dialogue: 

“There have been challenges,” Rehman said. “It hasn’t always been a walk in the park.”

Rehman said that the current conflict marked a dramatic retreat by both sides and it poses growing peril to tear communities apart. 

“Each time a conflict erupted in Israel, Palestine, there was pullback by some,” Rehman said. 

Rehman said the current Gaza, Israel conflict has shown an increase in pulling back and accusations against the other.

Ruby said the Anti-Defamation League and the Council on Islamophobia have recorded spikes in Islamophobia and anti-semitism.

“Instead of standing together against this upsurge in bigotry against both of our communities, we’re fighting each other,” Ruby said.

Ruby said that one of the core principles of the movement is that Muslims and Jews need to stand up for each other when either community comes under attack. 

Rehman and Ruby both acknowledge how each community must recognize how each side views the conflict.  

“That means stepping out of our silos, overcoming our tribal instincts, seeing the others’ pain and where it’s coming from,” Rehman said. “And allowing our hearts to expand.”

Rehman says that Muslims feel pressured to speak out against Hamas, and there is dread over rising Islamophobia, frustration with the government’s unconditional support of Israel, the downplaying of significant loss of life, the displacement of 2 million Palestinians, and their call for ceasefire ignored. 

Rehman said, “Muslim leaders feel the prevailing pro-Israel zeitgeist in American society makes it unsafe for them to speak up for Palestinians or risk being labeled supporters of terrorism and anti-semitism.”

She said Muslim students face bullying from other students and teachers. 

Ruby said that Jewish people feel like Muslim leaders have not done enough to denounce the Hamas massacre of Oct. 7, 2023. 

He said, “Many Jews are alarmed that Israel’s critics in Congress have multiplied.”

Rehman said she wants the Jewish community to understand how much the plight of Palestinians hurts Muslims. 

“We are not asking American Jews to solve the problem but to acknowledge and share and understand our pain.” 

Rehman said she denounces Hamas because they violate Islamic law—do not hurt civilians, women, and children. 

“If Palestinians can meet their necessities like food, water, a home, a job, a life of dignity, or are self-reliant and are not under constant siege, Hamas will die,” she said. “Address the root cause, the humanitarian issues, and terrorism will die a natural death.” 

Rehman said she wishes to see the Jewish community speak up when Palestinian voices are dealt with unjustly. 

Ruby agreed that the weaponization of antisemitism is wrong-headed and pushed forward by political forces for their political benefit.

He noted the examples of the resignations of the presidents of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University. 

“It’s important to comprehend the great hurt that the Jewish community feels, that our Muslim allies have barely mentioned the mass slaughter on October 7, the Hamas attack.”  

Rehman shared steps on what people can do to come together as communities.

Notes

Links:

We Refuse to be Enemies recording 
Sabeeha Rehman bio
Walter Ruby bio 
JCC Community Resource list 
Jews and Muslims Must Stand Together article 
Antisemitism Statistics Report article 
U.S. Hate Crime Charts article 

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