Muslims and Jews have joined hands to feed the hungry in New Jersey and New York as part of efforts to promote greater understanding between the two major faiths in the United States.
"Each Jew and each Muslim is obligated to help those most in need," said Walter Ruby of the New York-based Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, New Brunswick Patch reported.
The project, which was launched Sunday, was co-sponsored by Muslims Against Hunger Project, Rutgers University Shalom-Salaam, and the New York-based Foundation for Ethnic Understanding.
Joining hands, Muslims and Jews cooperated in a friendly atmosphere to prepare 350 meals for homeless folks in New York and New Jersey.
Zamir Hassan, founder of the Muslims Against Hunger Project, said about 100 meals would be taken to a shelter in Basking Ridge, while another 150 would be taken to Manhattan, where they would be handed out to homeless on the street.
Ruby, of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, said the group planned to visit 53rd St. and Lexington Ave. in New York, a spot where many homeless people congregate.
Though there are no official figures, America is believed to be home to nearly eight million Muslims.
A 2010 report of the North American Jewish Data Bank puts the number of Jews in the US at around 6.5 million.
Twinning
Along with feeding the hungry, Muslim and Jewish volunteers found the event a good opportunity to build bridges between the two communities.
"We thought community service was a great way to go about it," Marshal Anjum, 26, of Shalom-Salaam, a Muslim and Jewish student organization at Rutgers University, said.
The event was part of a larger "Weekend of Twinning," held from Nov. 18 through 20.
The purpose of the project is to facilitate events between Muslim and Jewish people to promote greater understanding between the two, according to Ruby.
According to a release from Muslims Against Hunger, more than 125 events are being held around the world as part of the Weekend of Twinning.
Interfaith ties between American Muslim and Jewish leaders have a history of successes.
Sponsored by The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, a New York-based nonprofit organization, the “Twinning Mosques and Synagogues" initiative aims to promote ethnic harmony and build inter-group grassroots ties.
Since the initiative began in 2008, the Twinning Mosques and Synagogues brought together 50 Jewish and 50 Muslim congregations across the United States and Canada at one-on-one programs.
A group of high-profile Muslim and Jewish organizations participate in the initiative, including the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the World Jewish Congress (WJC), the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) and the Canadian Association of Jews and Muslims (CAJM).
source : http://abna.ir
