In a show of interfaith solidarity, churches and a synagogue in Victoria, Texas, are offering support to the the Muslim community to rebuild the Victoria Islamic Center destroyed in a raging fire last week.
According to the latest figures on the fundraising website, donations have crossed the goal of $ 850 K and now contributions stand at more than $ 1.1 million.
The fire grounded the mosque in the backdrop of a deeply divisive 2016 election rhetoric that have seen attacks against Muslims increase, according to FBI figures.
The mosque was built in 2000 when two Pakistanis moved into the town, and several interfaith and community leaders belonging to Abrahamic faiths have said almost all people know each other and display a sense of mutual sharing and coexistence.
The mosque was vandalized in the past but the cause of fire last Saturday has not been established so far.
Jewish leaders of a local synagogue Temple B’Nai Israel and four churches offered their places of worship to Muslims where they could say prayers. Local city leaders have also rushed to help Muslim residents as they cope with the burning down of the mosque. The demonstration of oneness by representatives of Judeo-Christian-Islamic civilization stands in stark contrast to those who try to harm the unique American fabric with extremist mindset.
A profound display of peaceful coexistence and mutual respect came when students of St. Joseph High School, accompanied by teachers and staff, marched from their school to the Islamic Center this week.
A Facebook post on the Victoria Islamic Center page hailed what it called “a human chain of love & peace.”
The mosque management plans to plant a tree gifted. “The tree will be planted in the grounds of our new mosque & prominently displayed to remind us of this beautiful moment. This is the spirit of love where the cross hugs the crescent,” the Facebook post says.
The outpouring of support for Muslims in the small Victoria town is not an isolated example but it represents the inherent strength, pluralism and inclusiveness of the American society, duly allowed under the Constitution.
The support was also visible during recent demonstrations calling for an end to the travel ban on citizens from Muslim majority nations. Elsewhere, American Muslim and Christian leaders have partnered to send messages of hope, love and peaceful coexistence.
But the example of Victoria town in Texas sends a strong message in the current climate, when President Donald Trump’s administration is avowedly seeking to improve the U.S. immigration system, in order to combat the terrorist threat.
Although, President Trump has said the suspension of travel for countries including Iraq, Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Libya and Yemen is not a Muslim ban, the current circumstance also demands a forceful political statement – both from the White House and the Capitol Hill – on rejection of discrimination against any religious community and maintaining America’s spirit of tolerance and coexistence.
For their part, American Muslims also need to step up and engage with leaders on the Capitol Hill as well as within the Trump Administration, and be part of the dialogue on key economic, security and immigration issues.
