Letters to the Editor

Reaffirming a commitment

To the Editor:

Muslims and Jews at Penn often perceive few links between their respective groups, but during Islam Awareness Week earlier this month, we aimed to reassert the common bonds between Jews and Muslims.

Unfortunately, allegations regarding the character of Bill Baker, one of this year's IAW speakers, deeply concerned both Hillel and the Muslim Students Association, especially because anti-Semitism and hatred offend us all and hamper the goals of the MSA and Penn Hillel.

The MSA presents IAW each year as a testament to Islam's strong presence on campus. The perennial themes of IAW are knowledge, understanding and brotherhood, and this year, the MSA strove to emphasize how these themes can bring together not only Muslims but all Penn students. In recent weeks, the MSA and Hillel worked together with great success to ensure that the message resonated throughout campus.

Shortly before IAW, Hillel underscored its commitment to unity and understanding by inviting MSA members to Steinhardt Hall for a special joint evening. The guests joined the Jewish community at a lecture entitled "Jewish-Muslim Relations in the Middle Ages" and then received a full tour of the new building. In addition to the powerful symbolic message that we sent that night, we cherish the friendships that continue to develop each time Jews and Muslims can greet each other by name because of that extraordinary evening together.

The MSA demonstrated its reciprocal dedication to camaraderie between Muslims and Jews during IAW. The second IAW lecture highlighted the special role of Moses in Judaism and Islam, and accordingly, the MSA invited Hillel members as special guests and welcomed Isaac Hakimi, co-chairman of Penn's Orthodox Jewish community, as the facilitator of a post-lecture discussion. To our delight, this lecture offered an unparalleled opportunity for Jews and Muslims to discover their shared interests, but the circumstances of the final IAW lecture posed an unexpected challenge to our solidarity.

The MSA envisioned Bill Baker's Oct. 9 lecture, entitled "Finding the Common Ground Between Islam and Christianity," as a bonding session for Penn's Christians and Muslims, but shortly before the event, Hillel discovered evidence of Baker's past anti-Semitism. Hillel and the MSA worried that questions about Baker's character might distract some students from the broad but vital message of IAW, and consequently, the leadership of the MSA and Hillel opened a frank dialogue to overcome this obstacle and regain our momentum in bolstering Muslim-Jewish harmony.

Today, in an unprecedented joint statement, Hillel and the MSA reaffirm our commitment to unity and friendship. As we rediscover our common roots and our shared history, we urge all Penn students to follow our example in rising above perceived differences. Let us be proactive in building interpersonal relationships that, God willing, will further strengthen our unique Penn community and inspire peace in our world.

Jason Auerbach College '04 President, Penn Hillel

Muhammed Mekki College/Wharton '05 President, Muslim Students Association

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