What I am for, and what I am against
a raw reaction to Bondi, Hanukkah, antisemitism, and Islamophobia
Baruch Dayan HaEmet
Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un
My heart is with the victims and families affected by the murderous attack at Bondi Beach. No faith, including my own, condones the killing of innocent people. Anyone who tells you otherwise has an agenda.
As Hanukkah begins, I want to express my solidarity with my Jewish friends who may be feeling fear alongside celebration. Violence and antisemitism deserve unequivocal condemnation.
To my friends who are expressing their grief through anger at Muslims - you are hurting more than I am, so I accept it. But I hope you remember that I am not the one who hurt you.
Caricatures and polemics against an ethnic or religious group - especially on social media - lead to real world harm. I always refuse to succumb to such temptations in the heat of the moment.
I mourn Jewish victims and I honor Hanukkah’s meaning. I reject antisemitism and Islamophobia. These are universal, humanist principles I uphold without qualification.
Simultaneously, I am proud to be a Muslim and I will not apologize for my true faith, and I will not engage with caricatures or polemics about my religion. I choose to affirm this here because those caricatures and polemics are rampant right now, and I fear where they can lead - violence against me and mine. This is also why I am your ally against caricatures and polemics against you and yours.