Mideast conflict affects all Muslims and Jews: Marmur

2014/07/23 Leave a comment

Interesting column by Dow Marmur, rabbi emeritus at Toronto’s Holy Blossom Temple, and the need to focus on relations between Jewish and Muslim communities at home, as some of the recent tensions at demonstrations attest:

Christians act as catalysts here. Thus the proposed centre is to be built on a site where churches had stood since the Middle Ages; the last was damaged in the Second World War and subsequently demolished. Berlin is now to have a home promoting religious tolerance erected on Christian ground.

Christians in post-war Germany have a history of trying to bring Jews and Muslims together without meddling in the politics of the Middle East. Already more than 40 years ago, Christian institutions in what was then West Germany helped to create an organization called Jews, Christians and Muslims in Europe. To this day JCM promotes fruitful interfaith encounters, particularly between theology students. The Berlin House of Prayer and Learning would be a logical and more far-reaching extension of this work.

Toronto has a sizeable Jewish community and an even larger Muslim minority. Canada is known for its commitment to multiculturalism and peace. This city may, therefore, be the right place to imitate and fine-tune what’s being done in Berlin, not by seeking to import the Palestinian-Israeli conflict but by bringing together committed Christians, Jews and Muslims who would help to enrich our lives here despite the tensions there.

The Canadian Association of Jews and Muslims is already engaged in this kind of non-political work. What I know of it suggests that it could benefit from active Christian involvement and resourcefulness reflecting Canada’s commitment to peace and coexistence. Where Chicago and Los Angeles failed, Toronto taking its cue from Berlin might succeed.

Mideast conflict affects all Muslims and Jews: Marmur | Toronto Star.

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Religious extremism growing at a rapid pace: Marmur

2014/02/10 Leave a comment

Good piece on the struggle between the moderate middle and the radical extremists by Dow Marmur of Toronto’s Holy Blossom Temple:

It has led to a polarization between indifferent secularists and radical extremists. The latter have much more fire in their bellies and are frequently bent on using the democratic system they despise to their advantage.

In Israel, for example, there have been cases of segregated public transport with women sitting at the rear to accommodate ultra-Orthodox men. In Saudi Arabia, women aren’t even allowed to drive a car. Perhaps this has influenced the York student.

The polarization brought about by fanatics plays into the hands of atheists who have a need to point to religion in its most bizarre manifestations as proof of its depravity. There’s thus a perhaps unintended unholy alliance between radicals at both ends of the spectrum that’s further weakening the moderate centre.

The incident at York is a mild, characteristically Canadian version of a worldwide phenomenon. Mainstream churches and synagogues are hemorrhaging throughout the West while radical groups are thriving. Fringe views are allowed to take centre stage.

Optimists believe that this is only a temporary phase. They’re seeing signs of new ways of affirming God that go beyond both liberalism and fanaticism, and espouse values many of us hold dear. I hope that this is more than wishful thinking.

Religious extremism growing at a rapid pace: Marmur | Toronto Star.

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