There was an elephant prowling the ballroom of a downtown Atlanta hotel on Nov. 4. Would anyone point out the pachyderm?
The answer came as Dr. Nabile Safdar, board chair of the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta, welcomed several hundred people attending ISB’s annual gala “Yes, we’re going to go there.”
Before we go there, a little background on ISB. For 23 years, under the direction of its founder and executive director, Soumaya Khalifa, the ISB has engaged in public outreach about Islam, through education programs, law enforcement training, and meetings with public officials and civic organizations.
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ISB has been a partner with Jewish organizations in interfaith efforts. Prominent members of the Jewish community serve on ISB’s Advisory Council. Members of the community have been honored by ISB.
Safdar, a pediatric radiologist in the Emory Healthcare Network, began: “The last month has been difficult. It’s been hard. And you all know what I’m talking about. Seeing the events in Palestine, seeing the events in Israel, has left us horrified. In a state of shock, with anger and grief, all of us have been mourning the loss of innocent lives. This has brought some of us closer. In some cases, it’s led to some distance, and suspicion, within communities and between communities and individuals. So, we’re going to talk about that distance tonight. Yes, we’re going to go there.”
In a noticeable gesture before a predominantly Muslim audience, Safdar first addressed the pain of the Jewish community. “There are those of us in this room who have said, with sincere conviction and in good faith, that the brutal events of October 7th were horrific and should be condemned, that Israel must be able to defend its civilian population against ongoing terrorist attacks and secure the return of the hostages — and that for Jews worldwide, this is an existential issue. And we…
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