Yesterday (as eleven Jewish Community Centers across the country received a high number of bomb threats that forced young children to be evacuated) the Chesed Shel Emeth Jewish cemetery was vandalized in St. Louis, Missouri. Hundreds of gravestones were toppled or damaged by what can only be called a bunch of cowardly, bigoted assholes. In response, Muslim activist Linda Sarsour joined forces with prominent Muslim American speaker Tarek El-Messidi and launched a fundraising campaign help fund the needed repairs for the damage done by hate and fear.
From the Forward.
In their crowdfunding pitch, Sarsour and El-Messidi appealed to cooperation between Jews and Muslims recorded in the Quran. They say any extra funds will go to repairing vandalism at other Jewish sites.
“Through this campaign, we hope to send a united message from the Jewish and Muslim communities that there is no place for this type of hate, desecration, and violence in America,” they wrote.
As of this diary they have been able to raise $25,955, far exceeding their $20,000 goal. As rough as the news is these days it is important to remember that for every cowardly bigoted weak-minded fascist out there, there are thousands more people who want nothing more than for people to have the grace we as humans desire.