Thu Aug 26, 2010 at 11:43:11 AM EDT
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Late Tuesday night I heard about Ahmed H. Sharif, the yellow cab driver who was violently attacked for being Muslim. Yesterday, after reading Mr. Sharif's statement released by the New York Taxi Worker's Alliance,
"'I have been driving a taxi more than 15 years. All my four kids were born here. I never feel this hopeless and insecure before. Right now, the public sentiment is very serious (because of the Ground Zero Mosque debate.) All drivers should be more careful.'"
and hearing from Muslim friends that they are anxious or afraid or on-guard right now, I've felt that sinking feeling that is deep sadness combined with frustration and anger. I have to admit, I got chocked up and I couldn't read the whole press release.
I don't often agree with Bloomberg, but his position on the Park 51 mosque and response to this attack, saying: "This attack runs counter to everything New Yorkers believe, no matter what god we pray to,"
show that he can be a good leader, even when it is difficult or unpopular. |
| Rachel Feldman :: Is this really the NYC I'm living in? |
I've spent the past three and a half years working to move communities of faith to work for social change through community organizing. I worked first with an interfaith organization of mostly churches, one mosque and one union. Now, I work with Jewish Funds for Justice to build the power of organizations that bridge religious, economic, racial and ethnic differences to act for justice. We recently began the Community Organizing Residency, a program to launch the organizing careers of individuals from multiple faith traditions. My work to support the launch of COR over the last year and a half has been deeply personal. At our opening retreat, one Resident in the program reflected that the retreat itself, bringing together different faiths in the context of organizing for social change was one of the most spiritual spaces she has been in. When she said it, the whole room seemed to nod in agreement that they were deeply moved, including those of us who facilitated. My reflection is that it is the relationships we built that created the sense of spirit and connection that we all felt. I walked away with a lot of hope that these new community organizers can strengthen the organizations and field they work in and ultimately bring more justice to their cities.
The hate, islamophobia and straight-up violence being spread in New York City reminds me of the need for communtiy organizing and religious freedom. I'm also thinking of the Muslim Residents in COR, particularly those in New York. After being involved with organizing and working in communities of faith, I know it is a long, slow, and hard fight both for justice and religious freedom. I'm reminded there is a lot of work still to be done.
One piece of that effort is the work of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA) to win workplace protections for taxi drivers, who are often targets of violence and hate. The NYTWA recently won a victory getting the New York State legislature to pass the Taxi Driver Protection Act and are pushing for the Governor to sign the bill into law sooner than later:
"(T)he Act increases the penalties on assaults against taxicab, black car, and livery drivers and requires a sticker in every taxicab: 'WARNING: Assaulting A Taxi Driver Is Punishable By Up To Twenty-Five Years In Prison.'"
This is one important piece of the struggle. As is winning hate crime legislation and fighting for religious freedom. I'm not only deeply upset, but also feel a renwed sense of commitment.
I rarely go to press conferences or actions that I haven't been part of organizing, but today I plan to attend the NYTWA press conference with Bloomberg at City Hall at 1:00. I usually need to know what impact my actions will have on a particular legislator, but now I feel that doing this for myself is a good enough reason to go. |
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