Muslims surround synagogue in peace circle
 

In Norway this week at the only synagogue in that country, Muslims in a display of peace and support formed a symbolic protective ring around the temple. It is a great demonstration of what should be.

Norway's Muslims form protective human ring around synagogue | Reuters

Another view:

"The weekend’s feel-good story about a Muslim “ring of peace” formed to “protect” Jews at an Oslo synagogue turned out to be a complete fabrication by the mainstream media, according to an eyewitness report, local officials, and attendees’ photos.

According to a local eyewitness, only about 20 or so Muslims formed the “ring of peace” around the Oslo synagogue. In fact, pictures from multiple angles show that there wasn’t enough people to form a ring, so the locals instead formed a horizontal line in front of the synagogue……

…..."Ali Chishti, who organized the event, said bluntly in 2008, “I hate Jews and how they operate,” reports Daniel Greenfield. Chishti added in his conspiracy-laden rant about the Jewish people, “It is a fact that during the attacks on the Twin Towers [World Trade Center] 1600 Jews were absent from work. OK, OK, what’s even more suspicious, is how unusually many Jews there were present in Mumbai on the day that Pakistani terrorists struck. How come?”

At a March, 2008 meeting in Oslo promoting his 9/11 conspiracy theory that the Jews were responsible for the World Trade Center attacks, Chishti read his speech titled, “Therefore I Hate Jews And Gays,” Haaretz reports….."

Media Hoax: 20 Muslims Holding Hands Become 1,000-Strong 'Ring of Peace' at Oslo Synagogue - Breitbart

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Turns out to be the opposite of a feel good story. I can't wait for the retraction of this news item but I bet it will just fade away. First clue may have been the small number of supporters in the picture. I guess there were not that many who wanted to support that symbolic protective ring. As Sgt. Friday would say "just the facts" sir "just the facts".

Even if they did form this "Peace Circle" what's the point? Just more meaningless empty gestures that do nothing but waste peoples time and give the media something to make a story out of. I'm sure that they were looking for a child to photograph so someone could say something like "... and a child shall lead them.." Then everyone could put on a serious face, nod, and feel good about it. If you look closely you just might see George Carlin...

I don't know which makes me sadder; that it was a media grab or that someone would feel that it would make no difference if it were true. If there were 20 muslims, then there were 20 muslims whose hearts were in the right place. How can that be wrong?

To the OP

I don't understand a lot of things. Sometimes the same people who make comments to sincere Christians on this forum..not kind comments, say things in support of Muslims, when I suspect that they themselves are atheists.

I don't understand a lot of things.

I am a Christian and I have friends who are Jews.

I am afraid of the radical people who behead Christians and kill Jews.

I like to hear and see things that show support from the Muslim Community.

We need great wisdom to know WHO are our friends and who are our enemies.

And know whether the Malls are safe.

I would wait on judgment on this. Breitbart is not exactly the most accurate of sources. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breitbart_%28website%29

On the one hand, we have an article by Reuters, an agency I have long respected. On the other, we have Breitbart, a self-proclaimed conservative blog. Think I'll stick with the Reuters' version until I hear from a neutral source that it was all a hoax and that these Muslims were not sincere in their actions.

This from CNN

Worrisome.

Johnson warns Mall of America patrons - CNN.com

That is frightening. We do have to be on guard for attacks from radical Muslims and the MOA does look like a prime target. I read a book on just such an attack. This was a novel by Stephen Hunter called Soft Target. [ame]http://www.amazon.com/Soft-Target-Thriller-Stephen-Hunter/dp/1439138710[/ame]

What does a potential attack on a shopping mall have to do with Muslims speaking out against acts of violence? The threats to our malls are very real and something we need to be concerned about. Violence in malls, sadly, is nothing new. It has been done by Americans to Americans and probably will be done again in the future. Some will claim they are doing it for a cause, some will do it to get attention, some will do it because they are mentally ill. All will cause pain and fear.

We have a choice. We can live our lives the best we can. We can be afraid of potential violence and hide behind our walls. We can proclaim we will do whatever is necessary to protect ourselves and show we have the means to do so. I refuse to live my life in fear -- I've been there because of a very real threat and it is not living. I refuse to declare to the world that I am willing to meet violence with violence. I will live my life. I will stand tall and do the best I can to be an American, to not hate another because of their beliefs or skin color. I will applaud those who do the same, pity those who live in fear, avoid those who believe in violence.

I don't understand why it isn't the same issue. There is a lot of minimizing at the top. Changing the subject about a real issue. NOT calling it terror.

The person that posted this just last week made a comment to Kitty Gilchrist about "knowing" in the Biblical sense that I thought was unnecessary. I get from his posts that he is not religious at all. Which is fine...

I question why when I was upset about the bombing at the Boston Marathon that people on this forum said that it had nothing to do with Islamic terrorism. I question why any mention of Islamic terrorism is minimized by some. I question why people bring up the crusades like they happened last week and we Christians should cringe.

It really is the same issue, The fact that there are many good Muslims does not make the real issue go away and the fact that there are many good Christians does not make the real issue go away. And the fact that there are many mentally ill people and people who are Americans who kill Americans does not make this real issue that is affecting the world go away.

And that issue is the one that sparked the attacks on Jews in Norway that was the beginning of the story posted above.

This should be a different thread. But nice try in justifying it.

Ok, I will start another thread and say...if a few Muslims did a good thing, I appreciate it, but in the big picture do not feel better.

There were no attacks on Jews in Norway. There is no minimizing risk at the top, there is maximizing fear at the bottom. This is a story about two faith communities attempting solidarity to see beyond the divisions and find some common ground. (Despite Breitbart's attempt as always to throw dirt and see what sticks). I don't care if it was dozen or a thousand, it was a powerful statement for coexistence. Here is another story about Jews and Muslims working together to create a safe community.

Jews help guard UK mosques after attacks - Al Jazeera English

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And reports of Muslims protecting Christians

http://tribune.com.pk/story/61***3/m...g-lahore-mass/

Nigeria: 200 young Muslims protect Christians from attack | Christian News on Christian Today

I have a long connection to religion which seems to me to not be a legitimate topic of discussion on this site. I posted this story because it is a beautiful story of faith communities trying to overcome the fear, the animosity, the bigotry, the hatred. I have posted more similar stories. Redwitch understands and sees the beauty. Others don't and simply pile on with more hatred and fear. But I won't give up. I'll keep trying to alleviate the blindness of those who hateth our brothers.

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Well if you pick a scab you make it bleed. Right?

You paint broad groups with a mighty wide brush, as "haters" implicitly guilty of "hate crimes", when in reality, anybody reading here would be better described as "SKEPTICAL".

We have good reason to remain skeptical, since there wasn't any kind of Peace Ring around the Boston Marathon, or the field in PA where the 911 plane crashed, nor at the World Trade Center holes in the ground, nor at the church of the innocent woman beheaded at work in Oklahoma, where peace loving Muslims could take a stand against the satanic death cult of radically-mutated al Qaeda, ISIS, and their minions and wannabees.

Based on the known anti-Semitic background of at least this one muslim organizer, Ali Chishti, I have to wonder about their true motives. Oslo Synagogue

Thanks, sunnyatlast, I have been trying to come up with the right word to address this since I read about it this morning. Skeptical fits for me. I just didn't have a great feeling about it for some reason, and still can't put my finger on exactly why. In looking at the pictures and videos put out by the media, I see a lot of people (possibly a thousand as they say), but if you really look at the crowd, i wouldn't say it was overwhelmingly Muslim. To me it reeks of media hype, not necessarily professing truth. If you listen to audio reports you would think a thousand people (mostly Muslim) came together for this event, but I just don't see it in the videos. And yes, I know you don't have to be of Arab descent to be a Muslim......but this still leaves me ......skeptical.....

I do not see it that there were 1000 Muslims that did this just that 1000 people did it under the prompting of a group of Muslims. 1,000 people join in Muslim 'ring of peace' outside Norway synagogue | Fox News

That's exactly what prompted me to post the article you (seemingly) discredited from Breitbart---the "one thousand" muslims……that reportedly looked more like 20 joined by other unity-minded Norwegian people in the community.

Until I see a Peace Ring around a synagogue or a 911 incineration site or Oklahoma beheading site in THIS country, I'm not impressed with the purported number of peace-loving muslims who actually do something to publicly express it and stand in solidarity against the demonic death cult ISIS, Al Qaeda, and the others.

Yes, Tal, that was my point. More accurate reporting may have said 1000 people formed a ring of peace and a few Muslims joined in. Seemed like hyped reporting to me - ergo, my skepticism.

Where is a Peace Ring of peace-loving muslims around the innocent victims of the butchers here:

Islamic State in Syria abducts at least 90 Christians: monitor | Reuters