Aslam-o-alai-kum (Arabic for “Peace be with you”) is becoming a common greeting in Antioch, at least among parishioners in mainline Protestant and Roman Catholic parishes, as we build a network of support for our Muslim brothers and sisters. 

On August 12, Abdul Rahman, the chair of the Islamic Community of the East Bay (ICEB), received a phone call that there had been a fire at the mosque located in Antioch. At first he was not that alarmed because there had been several break-ins and a drive by shooting over the past year causing minor damage, but as the conversation ensued he realized that the mosque had been completely gutted. Abdul recounted, “I felt like I had just received a call that someone in my family had died.” The news became even more tragic when he learned that the cause of the fire was arson. Someone had tried to start a fire inside the mosque in four different areas before it finally blazed. 

The ICEB mosque served almost 500 Muslim families in East Contra Costa County and the fire occurred just one month before Ramadan, the blessed thirty-day observance of prayer and fasting. When news that the mosque had burned became public, several religious communities and philanthropic organizations offered their facilities to the Muslims for a place of worship.
In the first few weeks following the tragedy the Muslim community was overwhelmed with the investigation, the media, and the people who wanted to help. Many of the Muslim children were afraid and asked, “Why do they hate us? What did we do to make this happen?” Several women recalled experiences when they had been profanely harassed in public for wearing their hajibs.

Out of concern for the Muslim community and for the African American family in Brentwood whose home was vandalized a few weeks after the burning of the mosque, the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County and East County United, under the direction of The Rev. Will McGarvey, pastor of the Community Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, organized a “March Against Hate” to take place on September 23, 2007.

In preparation for the march, St. George’s Episcopal Church in Antioch hosted a sign- making day the week before, in which forty-five Muslim and Christian children, youth, and adults attended. Members of the Jewish community had wanted to attend, but were not able to because of Rosh Hashanah. At the beginning of the day, the youth gathered in the nave for storytelling and song practice. Marilyn McClain, St. George’s organist and children’s choir director, taught them songs for peace, such as, “Let there be peace on earth” and “We shall overcome.” It was a touching moment to see Muslim and Christian youth singing songs together for peace in a Christian church. Afterwards, everyone gathered in the parish hall to paint signs and banners for the march. And the younger ones who were not fasting for Ramadan ate pizza.

Jenelle Mazaris, a drama therapist intern from the Living Arts Center in Berkeley, joined us for the day and interacted with the youth. At the end of the event, we formed a line and walked slowly and silently by the beautiful painted posters and banners, taking it all in, and then we formed a circle. Jenelle led us in an exercise asking each person to express how they felt about the day in a gesture, sigh, or word. Most everyone waved or said, “fun.” But one Muslim girl captured all of our hearts when she said the word, “relieved.”

On Sunday, September 23, at 12:30 PM about 350 people gathered at Antioch City Hall for the pre-march activities of face painting and more sign making. At 2 PM, the march began with a parade of signs representing Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and various other traditions. The Episcopal Church was represented by marchers from St. Alban’s, Brentwood; St. George’s, Antioch; and St. John’s, Clayton. The marchers walked 1.5 miles to the ICEB, where they placed signs on the fence surrounding the condemned building, and then marched on to the Antioch High School auditorium for an educational program on Islam. During the ceremony, the youth sang the songs for peace that they had rehearsed at St. George’s, and several speakers gave their testimonies of the tragic event, principally Mohammad Chaudhry, the president of ICEB, and Maha ElGenaidi, CEO of the Islamic Network Group. Shafath Syed, Council on American Islamic Relations, gave a more global view of Islam. After the program, ElGenaidi commented that she had never seen Muslim youth so energized and wanting to talk and work together for the cause of peace.

ElGenaidi wasn’t the only one to notice. We were all feeling the love, as though we had been buoyed up and were flowing down a deep river of peace. As Chaudhry said, “the overwhelming love and sympathy and the flood of affection we have received from all communities and, indeed, America stands for love, for unity, and diversity, and not for hatred.” Salaam, Shalom, Peace.

East County United has organized several upcoming educational events on Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. For more information visit www.eastcccunited.org or call the Rev. Amber Sturgess at 925.628.5494.