After two gunmen murdered at least 15 Jewish people celebrating Hanukkah on a beach in Australia, the reaction in Western Massachusetts was swift and severe.
“My first and foremost reaction to the horrific shooting at Bondi Beach was I wish it simply hadn’t happened. I remember visiting (there) many years ago and recall what a lovely place it was. Now that memory is marred by this terrible action,” said Imam Mirza Yawar Baig, who leads the Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts.
Authorities in Australia are crediting a Muslim man with preventing an escalating loss of life by tackling one of the shooters, helping to end the attack.
Australian officials have identified the man as Ahmed al Ahmed, whose refugee parents had just arrived from Syria. Ahmed, a 43-year-old father of two girls, was injured in the attack and was recovering in a hospital.
“Thank God he had the courage to stand up to the hate. God (should) bless him and his family that they should be safe and continue to have a moral compass. I am deep in my gut grateful to him,” said Rabbi Amy Wallk of Temple Beth El in Springfield.
“I want to lift up this man and his courage and express my deepest gratitude and say all of us should have the physical stamina, moral courage and the ability to stand up when we see hate around us,” she told The Republican.
Attacks against Jews and Muslims are skyrocketing around the world, according to numerous sources that track the violence and publish results.
The massacre in Australia occurred on a deadly weekend in America that saw two students and nine others injured on the Brown University campus in Rhode Island.
“We feel the pain of our Jewish brothers and sisters because history keeps repeating itself, whether it’s antisemitism, Islamophobia or people targeting Christians. This just keeps happening and it needs to stop,” said Mohammed Dastigir, president of the Islamic Society in West Springfield.
“Unfortunately, it’s going to continue until the violence and endless wars around the world stop and people start living in peace,” he told The Republican.
The newspaper on Monday contacted members of the Islamic and Jewish communities in the region. One man declined to allow his name to be used out of concern for his safety.
“I think about the risks of identifying myself in public as being Jewish. That is part of the issue. I am not afraid, but look at how this goes down in the world of violent extremism,” he said.
Hanukkah, the festival of lights, is an eight-day Jewish celebration commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. There were hundreds of people at the celebration on the beach. The Australian Prime Minister has said the terror attack suspects were driven by ideology.
“Those terrorists that attacked and killed and hurt people — they tried to extinguish our light,” said Rabbi Alana Wasserman, Jewish engagement coordinator at the Jewish Community Center in Springfield.
“They did diminish it a little, but they will never extinguish our light. And that’s why more than ever, we need to light our menorahs,” she added. “Hanukkah is supposed to be a time of hope. We light the menorah in the hopes of bringing light into a darkened world.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is slamming the Australian government, accusing it of inciting violence against Jews by formally recognizing a Palestinian state.
“Globalize the intifada” is a rallying cry around the world by those supporting Palestinian resistance against Israelis. The phrase is sparking violence against Jews, say local religious leaders.
“The words ‘globalize the intifada’ are not justifiable. They are hateful and anybody who tries to defend or excuse them is responsible for the rise of violence against Jews,” said Wallk, of Temple Beth El in Springfield. “I would say that if the slur were against any minority group. They’re not just words. They’re harmful and people are murdered because of them.”
Speaking by text from India, Imam Baig told The Republican he is praying the Muslim hero recovers quickly and fully from the gunshot wounds he sustained when he disarmed one of the attackers.
“When he tackled the shooter, though he was himself unarmed, he demonstrated his bravery by putting his own life on the line to save the lives of others. He represents our belief in the sanctity of human life, irrespective of who that may be. He did that in the most powerful way possible,” said Baig.
While Rabbi Wasserman said she aspires to be hopeful, hopelessness would be inevitable if she did not rely on her community for support. Muslims are part of that community, and she said she is grateful a Muslim man stepped in to stop the carnage.
“I’m thankful he was there and did what he did. It’s lovely when somebody of a different faith wants to help,” Wasserman said. “It’s about taking care of each other, regardless of what religion you are. Muslims and Jewish people are brothers and sisters. We all know what it’s like to be persecuted and we all should come together.”
Dastigir, the Islamic Society president. said it would be great if the world would move toward peace and acceptance, motivated by the bravery of one man.
“He did exactly what he is commanded to do. We’re taught in our religion if you see something wrong, and it doesn’t matter who that is happening to, you need to stop it,” he said.
“I felt humbled and happy that someone stepped up,” he said, “and that someone happened to be a Muslim who stopped the tragedy.”
