Some 30 years ago, my wife and I left South Africa to escape the cruel injustice and racism of apartheid. We came to Australia delighting in its openness to diversity, its freedom and acceptance of difference, its dazzling multicultural palettes, and its respect for its first peoples. We embraced Victoria as a model of multicultural harmony in a world of disharmony.
Nothing prepared us for the pandemic of antisemitism unleashed by October 7. Its trajectory from the Opera House has been well documented, as has the agony and anxiety of the Jews of Australia. Here on naked display was the venomous hatred we thought we had left behind in the darkness of apartheid South Africa.
Sadly, the arson attack on the Adass Synagogue last Friday was as predictable as it was awful. When vile anti-Jewish words (often concealed as anti-Zionism / Israelism) go unchallenged beyond pious pronouncements, violent attacks on people and property are inevitable. It’s epitomised by the Talmudic dictum, that when you’re kind to the cruel, you will ultimately be cruel to the kind.
There’s, however, one significant ray of light at this time: Unlike the stunning silence of much of the multifaith community after October 7 (and worse the refusal of most of the Islamic and Palestinian bodies to even acknowledge the horror), this time it has come out with promptness and unequivocal clarity.
There have been countless supportive messages from religious colleagues and friends. Catholic Archbishop Peter Comensoli ,who did speak out after October 7, messaged from the airport:
“Ralph, I have just landed in Rome to the terrible, terrible news. My heart is broken. I realise you are now in Sabbath, but be assured of my full and strong support, and my prayer for all the Jewish community in Melbourne”.
Shortly after he issued a heartfelt public video on all his social media.
Members of the diverse Multifaith Advisory Group and Multicultural Commission, which include the various churches, the Bahai, Buddhist, Hindu and Sikh communities, put out a statement before Shabbat which reads in part:
“The trauma of this incident will resonate deeply within the Jewish community, already grappling with the impact of events in the Middle East. We stand with them in solidarity. News of the fire, on the eve of Shabbat prayers, is especially heartbreaking for people of faith… We stand together”.
Chairperson Viv Nguyen made it a priority to contact the Adas community.
Most significantly, the Multifaith Advisory signatories included Muslim organisations.
I wondered if the spiritual leaders, the Imams, would respond, given on the whole, their silence, and (from some) their aggressive stance after October 7. I was thus heartened to see that the Board of Imams of Victoria had signed the document. I was even more encouraged by the personal note from my colleague Ahmed of AINIC (Australian National Imams Council):
“Shalom Rabbi Ralph. I know it is Sabbath today and you may not see this, but I wanted to reach out and let you know my heart and prayers are with you and fellow Jewish community in the aftermath of the arson attack on the synagogue. We must all feel safe in our places of worship, and nothing justifies such actions. I pray the perpetrators are brought to account. No matter what both our differences are regarding the situation in the holy land, I believe we wholeheartedly agree in the sanctity of our communities and places of worship. It is a no-go zone. Keep well, stay strong, and may God accept your worship”.
The public statement of AINIC was more modest and generic, but at least a recognition of the danger of “religious intolerance and hatred targeting people of faith and public places of worship”.
You may say these are just words and, even worse, they are simply expedient expressions and empty posturing. Some no doubt are. However, as people of the Book, we believe in the power of words. We know too well that words wound and have led to the intimidation and death of so many Jews throughout our history. If we believe unchallenged slurs led to the burning of the shul, then we must also believe that positive statements can lead to its rebuilding and the mending of tattered relationships.
Ahmed alluded to our differences and the fierce exchanges we have had in some of our public meetings and private conversations about Israel, Palestine and Gaza. Genuine interfaith interactions don’t overlook or minimise differences but, in fact, lead to real respect for one another.
That’s why these positive words and pronouncements send strong messages not only to the Jewish and Muslims communities, but to all the Australian people. A reminder that the spirit of mateship and kinship runs very deep in this ancient land of ours.
Yes, religion divides, but it also unites. In the timeless words of Martin Luther King, it prompts us to recall that the power of love is ultimately stronger than the love of power.
