LAUSR

In August, 2018, Boris Johnson, the former Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom (a potential candidate for Prime Minister) wrote an article in the Telegraph1 that on the surface seemed to express tolerance toward Muslim women who choose to wear a niqab or burka but was perceived by many in the Muslim community as Islamophobic. Citing the Danish law that prohibited such clothing, he caricatured those who wore them but suggested that the U.K. was more accepting. That week at Friday prayers in a North London mosque, the imam spoke out, vigorously and angrily, criticizing the former Foreign Secretary and accusing the Tory Party of Islamophobia. It appeared to me while listening to the imam that we each have a subjective view about what offends our specific culture or religion and that it is essential to acknowledge when others perceive that something is offensive. However, there was vociferous debate in the media by those defending free speech. I could not help wondering whether Jewish people would be offended if a similar statement had been made about the extreme religious dress in the Hassidic communities. I think Jews have over time decided to take ourselves less seriously when making insensitive jokes about our own subsects, but we still bristle when unsolicited comments come from outsiders. This raised an important question. When should we take a stand in support of those of another faith who feel attacked or offended? After rereading the Telegraph article, I submitted an online essay offering a more balanced view, calling on the Jewish community to stand up for Muslims when they are targeted by hate speech.2 Not surprisingly, this drew some unpleasant criticism from within my own community.