I’m devastated following yesterday’s deadly hate-fueled attack against the Islamic Center of San Diego and made this short video for our Muslim friends and neighbors… but whoever you are, you might appreciate it.
May your beautiful thoughts and words be spread far and wide, and may all of us embrace the generosity and understanding you framed them in. They are so heartfelt and so essential and important for all of us to emulate.
Debra, thank you for sharing your feelings so eloquently while encompassing the feeling of the greater part of the Jewish community. It is important to stand together now against hate and violence in our communities.
Every decent American should offer the same message that Debra warmly offers here.
There is no excuse or justification for this kind of mindless, bigoted hatred.
I am not religious, but everyone should be free to practice their religion of choice without violence coming into their lives.
The NY Times had an article that claimed that the two young murderers were radicalized on the Internet. There may be some truth to that, but the atmosphere in this country has been poisoned by Donald Trump and his supporters. There is no anti-Muslim, American bigot with greater visibility and influence than Donald Trump. He has spent ten years spewing anti-Muslim hatred far and wide and it has created a form of permission for others to spread their own hatred. Republicans will cry out, "Don't politicize these deaths," when it is depraved politics that make this kind of violence so easy and so common. This is a political issue, first and foremost, because it is politicians who prevent any meaningful action.
The two murderers are dead in a murder-suicide that speaks to the senselessness of what they did and the decisions they made. What kind of person would believe that trading their own lives for those of people who were simply living and practicing their own chosen faith made any sense at all.
This also speaks loudly, yet again, to the insanity of there being so many guns in the US. As always, the pro-gun zealots will blame mental illness or find some other excuse to refuse to cooperate in any meaningful efforts to reduce gun violence in this country. No one should have to live in fear, but no one is safe in a country where violence and hatred are so present.
Thank you so much Debra. I have restacked it. This morning I did write something but what you said was so well-considered and thoughful that I have re-edited it and appended links to this post of yours and two PBS videos, one being I think the one you mentioned:
5/19/26: Since the most recent domestic USA outrage, the San Diego Islamic Center murders, I have been at wits end, not knowing what to think. I am away from home visiting family—ours and Giselle’s—in NYC.
Also, due to my travels, I am away from an ongoing dialogue I am engaged with—that met last night without me —of Jews and Palestinians, which is meeting for the first time, due to Shauvuot this week, at a site that is of Islamic auspice.
I can only imagine what Muslims are going through now, although my memory is fresh of the Beth Israel shooting in Michigan.
Early today, optimist that I am, I dreamed up, having marked Nakba Day Friday, the value of an event that would carefully mark the days and years of the 20th and 21st century pogroms against Jews in the Middle East, which like the Nakba is also ongoing. Missiles still being launched at Israel, although so many so easily discount the significance of that and even of 10/07/03.
Early this morning, I awoke in the middle of the night further realizing how you can’t fight antisemitism without fighting Islamophobia and hatred of Muslims and for that matter all the “phobias” and racisms.
In the social movements which I have participated in since 1967, I learned that you couldn’t fight racism without fighting fighting antisemitism, and I plan want to document that.
Also, this recognition was one of the most basic fundamental principles for the civil rights movement and the organized left in this country. But somewhere along way too many of us have forgotten that principle. I call it the Vice Versa Principle.
You can’t fight racism without fighting antisemitism and you can’t fight antisemitism without fighting racism. Similarly, you can’t fight antisemitism without fighting Islamophobia and you can’t fight Islamophobia without fighting antisemitism.
Yes. I would add: Fight against the scourge of guns in the community. Support those running for election who say they will ban guns, similar to Australian laws.
I think people seated in Congress & Senate that have regularly made Anti Islamic statement should be censored. Naming them and calling it out immediately is critical .
Thank you for speaking so kindly and generously.
Beautifully articulated, my heart goes out to all our beloved friends and neighbors...
I wish more Jews would do what you did. Thank you.
May your beautiful thoughts and words be spread far and wide, and may all of us embrace the generosity and understanding you framed them in. They are so heartfelt and so essential and important for all of us to emulate.
Debra, thank you for sharing your feelings so eloquently while encompassing the feeling of the greater part of the Jewish community. It is important to stand together now against hate and violence in our communities.
Every decent American should offer the same message that Debra warmly offers here.
There is no excuse or justification for this kind of mindless, bigoted hatred.
I am not religious, but everyone should be free to practice their religion of choice without violence coming into their lives.
The NY Times had an article that claimed that the two young murderers were radicalized on the Internet. There may be some truth to that, but the atmosphere in this country has been poisoned by Donald Trump and his supporters. There is no anti-Muslim, American bigot with greater visibility and influence than Donald Trump. He has spent ten years spewing anti-Muslim hatred far and wide and it has created a form of permission for others to spread their own hatred. Republicans will cry out, "Don't politicize these deaths," when it is depraved politics that make this kind of violence so easy and so common. This is a political issue, first and foremost, because it is politicians who prevent any meaningful action.
The two murderers are dead in a murder-suicide that speaks to the senselessness of what they did and the decisions they made. What kind of person would believe that trading their own lives for those of people who were simply living and practicing their own chosen faith made any sense at all.
This also speaks loudly, yet again, to the insanity of there being so many guns in the US. As always, the pro-gun zealots will blame mental illness or find some other excuse to refuse to cooperate in any meaningful efforts to reduce gun violence in this country. No one should have to live in fear, but no one is safe in a country where violence and hatred are so present.
This country has lost its way.
Thank you so much Debra. I have restacked it. This morning I did write something but what you said was so well-considered and thoughful that I have re-edited it and appended links to this post of yours and two PBS videos, one being I think the one you mentioned:
5/19/26: Since the most recent domestic USA outrage, the San Diego Islamic Center murders, I have been at wits end, not knowing what to think. I am away from home visiting family—ours and Giselle’s—in NYC.
Also, due to my travels, I am away from an ongoing dialogue I am engaged with—that met last night without me —of Jews and Palestinians, which is meeting for the first time, due to Shauvuot this week, at a site that is of Islamic auspice.
I can only imagine what Muslims are going through now, although my memory is fresh of the Beth Israel shooting in Michigan.
Early today, optimist that I am, I dreamed up, having marked Nakba Day Friday, the value of an event that would carefully mark the days and years of the 20th and 21st century pogroms against Jews in the Middle East, which like the Nakba is also ongoing. Missiles still being launched at Israel, although so many so easily discount the significance of that and even of 10/07/03.
Early this morning, I awoke in the middle of the night further realizing how you can’t fight antisemitism without fighting Islamophobia and hatred of Muslims and for that matter all the “phobias” and racisms.
In the social movements which I have participated in since 1967, I learned that you couldn’t fight racism without fighting fighting antisemitism, and I plan want to document that.
Also, this recognition was one of the most basic fundamental principles for the civil rights movement and the organized left in this country. But somewhere along way too many of us have forgotten that principle. I call it the Vice Versa Principle.
You can’t fight racism without fighting antisemitism and you can’t fight antisemitism without fighting racism. Similarly, you can’t fight antisemitism without fighting Islamophobia and you can’t fight Islamophobia without fighting antisemitism.
For now, I’m linking here to an https://apnews.com/article/islamic-center-san-diego-shooting-mosque-hate-d81d87793aa3eea836d45a9d5b1f297b?user_email=f298f675622bf0e2e8fe48ece8ed2af23dac0a782325350be46355d557908493 about two of the teen shooters and their vile hatred.
Also, I want to link to A Message to Our Muslim Friends and Neighbors, After the Deadly Attack in San Diego from https://drshushan.substack.com/p/a-message-to-our-muslim-friends-and and a link to two PBS documentaries, https://youtu.be/vN8bg2UiiVg?si=hv5QAEDhqJ70Wl4k and another https://youtu.be/VLRCk68BZ00?si=E2OgyjENHhsi3dio.
From: https://michaelalandover.substack.com/p/anti-zionistism
All I can do is say ditto to the two previous notes.
Yes. I would add: Fight against the scourge of guns in the community. Support those running for election who say they will ban guns, similar to Australian laws.
I think people seated in Congress & Senate that have regularly made Anti Islamic statement should be censored. Naming them and calling it out immediately is critical .