Following Joel’s recent post, the conversation just happened to turn to the role played by Muslims in European antisemitism. I had already come across references to the efforts made by Siavash Derakhti to combat bigotry in his home town of Malmö and thought readers might be interested in this longer profile of his work in the Times of Israel.
Derakhti, who has worked tirelessly to teach students about anti-Semitism in his hometown of Malmo, is the founder of his own organization, Young Muslims Against Antisemitism. His work frequently takes him across the country to educate students about anti-Jewish bigotry and the Holocaust.
He explains his motivation:
“My parents fled from dictatorship so their children could grow up in a peaceful place and experience democracy, and then to come to a country where there is hate, discrimination and racism on our streets, this is not acceptable. Something must be done,” Derakhti says.
It’s a pity the Mayor of Malmö doesn’t take the same forthright stance. Here is a related story of how Muslims and Jews are working together to combat antisemitism in France’s Muslim community.
Hat Tip: Citizen Wald
