History was truly made here in Metropolitan Detroit this
week.  As “Pastor” Terry
Jones flew into town from Gainesville, Florida to demonstrate in front of the
Islamic Center of America, an unprecedented show of interfaith unity and
solidarity closed in around the Muslim community.  The various interfaith events held to support the Muslim
community during this potential challenge perfectly illustrated the true
meaning of all the monotheistic faiths: Love thy neighbor as thyself. The Arab
American and American Muslim communities will be ever mindful of and ever
grateful for the religious and civic leadership who attended the events, held
hands around the mosque, marched in the rain and spoke forcefully about the
need to protect our civil rights. As we move forward together, our brotherhood
can only be strengthened by our shared determination to stand up for everyone’s
rights in this country.

Why is this important? Last weekend, the Muslim Public
Affairs Council (MPAC) held a community town hall forum to address the rise of
bullying against young American Muslims, which has increased in frequency. Many
young people in schools are facing emotional and physical abuse, being called
“terrorists” or told “to go home” on a daily basis.  When hate speech is not taken
seriously, it has the potential to turn violent. 

The recent news that an 8-year-old boy was found hanging
from a bathroom hook at his school in Louisville, KY, has shocked a whole community
and school officials. The son of Somali immigrant parents, the boy was found
unconscious and hospitalized with serious injuries, yet it took three weeks for
his story to reach national headlines. The sad truth was that the boy had been
experiencing chronic bullying, which was not addressed by the school.

The reality is that when irresponsible public officials and
political pundits engage in hate speech it has real consequences on the ground.
The rhetoric about the American Muslim community on talk radio, national news
outlets and in many communities has become poisonous in nature.

Bullying of American Muslims is not limited to classrooms
and playgrounds. Anti-Muslim sentiment has reared its ugly head over and over
again. The burning of a Qur’an by Jones; the nationwide spike in anti-mosque
sentiment; the recent wave of anti-shari’a bills in more than a dozen states
across the country; a Villa Park, CA, councilwoman’s call for violence against
American Muslims; and a recent case where a Muslim woman was refused service at
a mattress store because the store manager considered her a national security
threat, are all examples.

It is everyone’s responsibility to work together in order to
create platforms where there can be education to promote mutual acceptance and
understanding.

Metropolitan Detroit did a great job this week. We should
all be very proud. And cities across the country should follow our lead.