Any genuine bigotry is indeed contemptible and should be always and everywhere shunned and condemned. The problem with this initiative is that for years now, Leftists and Islamic supremacists have insisted that any opposition to jihad terror, no matter how mild, is “anti-Muslim bigotry,” and have fought against counter-terror efforts under the aegis of fighting “bigotry” and “Islamophobia.” For years, my colleagues and I have been smeared and defamed as “anti-Muslim bigots” for opposing jihad terror. So when Rabbi Feinberg unfurls his banner, it is hard not to think that he is unwittingly aiding an effort to stifle all opposition to the advancing jihad.
“Standing with Muslims, faith groups buy banners,” by Lauren Markoe, Religion News Service, March 10, 2016:
(RNS) The banners proclaim it in large, red letters: “Honor God — say no to anti-Muslim bigotry.”
Rabbi Charles Feinberg, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Interfaith Action for Human Rights, the organization that conceived the idea for the banners, keeps the prototype in the front seat of his car and unfurls it whenever he’s among a large group of the faithful — no matter their religion.
His aim is to get churches, synagogues and other houses of worship to order the banner, and plant or hang it prominently in public view.
“We would love to see many, many communities — many different religious communities — display it on their properties as a sign of support and as a way to counter some of the hate speech in our communities,” Feinberg told an interfaith gathering in Silver Spring, Md., recently.
The room gave him a warm round of applause, and a few people raised their hands, gesturing that they would be placing an order.
Feinberg said a handful of houses of worship have signed on so far to the banner campaign, which IAHR is promoting with Shoulder-to-Shoulder, an interfaith group created to oppose Islamophobia, and T’ruah, a human rights organization led by Jewish clergy….
The banner campaign was inspired by other banners that have shown up on houses of worship in support of other causes in recent years. “Black Lives Matter” is a popular banner at more liberal churches, as is one that proclaims “Marriage Equality.”
The banner campaign against anti-Muslim bigotry is also offering a version that reads “We stand with our Muslim neighbors,” and another that says a particular house of worship “stands with Muslim Americans.”