Mr. Mamdani,
As a Muslim, I am ashamed of your decision to skip the Israel Day Parade.
Not because attending would have meant endorsing every action of the Israeli government.
It would not.
Just as attending an American parade does not mean supporting every decision made in Washington.
What you missed was an opportunity to stand with New York's Jewish community at a time when many feel increasingly isolated, targeted, and afraid.
I was there.
Along with other Muslims.
We marched shoulder to shoulder with Jewish families, Holocaust survivors, veterans, children, community leaders, and ordinary New Yorkers.
The message was simple:
The Jewish people have a right to exist, a right to safety, and a right to a homeland.
That should not be controversial.
Instead of showing solidarity with one of New York's most important communities, you chose absence.
Leadership is not about showing up only when the crowd agrees with you.
Leadership is about showing up for everyone.
Including Jews.
Especially when antisemitism is rising across America.
As Muslims, we understand what prejudice feels like.
We understand what it means to be stereotyped, blamed, and targeted.
That is precisely why we should stand against antisemitism with the same moral clarity that we expect others to stand against anti Muslim hatred.
The Israel Day Parade was not a celebration of war.
It was a celebration of Jewish identity, Jewish survival, and the enduring connection of the Jewish people to their ancestral homeland.
Many of us who marched support peace.
Many support a future where Israelis and Palestinians can live in dignity and security.
But peace cannot be built by refusing to engage with Jewish New Yorkers.
Peace cannot be built by treating support for Israel's existence as something toxic or unacceptable.
And peace certainly cannot be built by abandoning a community when it needs reassurance.
As a Muslim, I refuse to allow extremists to define my relationship with the Jewish people.
As an American, I refuse to accept a future where Jews are made to feel unwelcome in their own city.
You had an opportunity to send a message of unity.
Instead, your absence sent a different message.
New Yorkers noticed.
The Jewish community noticed.
And many Muslims who believe in coexistence noticed as well.
History remembers those who build bridges.
It also remembers those who walk away from them.
Mansoor Hussain Laghari
Founder & President
Global Youth Unity Project
This post does not promote hate; it is meant to inform and encourage respectful discussion. We stand against antisemitism in all forms.
Comments
Post a Comment