Just when we lost hope in humanity, Muslim-led fundraiser to repair Jewish cemetery has whizzed past its goal

The Jewish cemetery was vanadalised earlier this week by anti-Semitics and the fundraiser reached its goal within three hours.

By: Priyal Ray |
February 22, 2017 6:39 pm

Around 100 headstones were destroyed at the Chesed Shel Emeth Society cemetery situated St. Louis earlier this week. Headstones are of grave importance to those of the Jewish faith and each one of us can relate to how it feels to lose the last remains of a loved one we lost to death. In a lovely display of solidarity cutting across religious borders, a Muslim-led fundraiser was started soon after to raise money for the repair of the cemetery.

What’s even more heartening is the fundraiser has now surpassed it’s goal of 20,000 dollars and has raised over 40,000 dollars already. In a world where we only see people of different faiths at each other’s necks, this comes as a whiff of fresh air and tells us there’s still hope left in the world. Their page says the goal was reached within three hours of the campaign’s start.

The fundraiser, which goes by the name ‘Muslims Unite to Repair Jewish Cemetery’, was the brainchild of Linda Sarsour and Tarek El-Messidi. Linda shared her happiness at the success with a symbolic ‘Rest In Peace’.

Never underestimate the generosity and solidarity people hold within them. Campaign continues. #RestInPeace pic.twitter.com/RTQ7UtseAY

— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) February 22, 2017

On their page the fundraiser wrote’,

“On the heels of bomb threats and hate crimes against dozens of Jewish community [centers] across the United States, a historical Jewish cemetery was vandalized this past weekend when over 100 headstones were damaged.

Muslim Americans stand in solidarity with the Jewish-American community to condemn this horrific act of desecration against the Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery. We also extend our deepest condolences to all those who have been affected and to the Jewish community at large.”

The fund-raising will continue however, and the money left after repair of this Jewish cemetery will be given out to assist other cemeteries who have had a similar fate. This incident comes soon after several Jewish centres across the world have received bomb threats and violence towards the community has gone up. All we can say is love and humanity still surpasses religious borders and such brilliant solidarity is am example we should all follow. Kudos to the fast-diminishing virtue of humanity!