Support and Solidarity for Muslim and Jewish Communities
In response to and strong condemnation of recent expressions of hate directed at Muslim and Jewish communities in Hawaii, we endorse the following statement:
Over the past weeks the Manoa Mosque has been the target of multiple hate messages via social media, email, and voicemail. Individual Muslims have been harassed in public, including children. Also, Temple Emanu-El was targeted with a bomb threat against its Jewish pre-school.
We stand together with our Muslim and Jewish communities and any individuals who are subjected to harassment based on religion, immigration status, national origin, race, gender, LGBTQ+ status or disability. No one should go through this experience alone.
We urge you to add your signature using this form, which also sends this statement to Senator Brian Schatz. Your email address will remain private.
[emailpetition id=”1″] [signaturelist id=”1″]In addition, our UH Manoa President, David Lassner, has sent the following message to our community:
Aloha colleagues and friends,
I have written several messages to the University of Hawai’i community stressing our commitment to non-discrimination and working together to overcome intolerance and prohibit harassment based on religion, immigration status, national origin, race, gender, LGBTQ+ status or disability. This commitment has been and remains clear and firm, and I am proud that our UH Board of Regents has publicly reaffirmed its support of these core values.
Over the past weeks we have been alerted to multiple incidents of hate messages and threats in Honolulu. The Muslim Association of Hawai’i, one of the neighbors of UH Manoa, has been the target of hate messages via social media, email and voicemail. Individual Muslims have been harassed in public. Temple Emanu-el was targeted with a bomb threat against its Jewish pre-school.
These incidents did not occur on any of our campuses and have become a matter for law enforcement. But they directly and deeply impact many within the UH community. UH campuses have been ranked as the most diverse higher education institutions in the nation, and we all benefit when each of us is safe and secure.
So as we head into the weekend it is a great time for each of us to reach out to others to celebrate and support our UH commitment to diversity, tolerance and safety for all.
Sincerely,
David Lassner