Rabbis from Chabad of Norwood condemned one of their community members for anti-Islamic and racist remarks made near the synagogue this week.
The community also reached out to the victim of the hateful speech, Abdur Rahman, to 'acknowledge the pain caused' and restore relations between the two religions.
Rahman, a 35-year-old content creator, recorded an elderly congregant driving a white Porsche Cayenne GTS after the man allegedly hurled offensive and racist remarks at him, including the phrase 'all Indian Muslims should die.'
The recording shows the congregant exiting his vehicle near Chabad of Norwood, then verbally attacking the Muslim driver, before putting on his traditional Jewish head covering and entering the synagogue for prayer.
Reactions from Rabbis
Rabbi Mordechai and Sarah Rodal stated in a statement the day before that they are deeply upset and saddened by this shocking incident.
In their statement, they noted: 'We are shocked by the racist remarks used by a member of our community, and we are particularly distressed that some of these comments were made outside our synagogue.' They emphasized that in their community, 'there is simply no place for racism, prejudice, or derogatory language, and we unequivocally condemn such behavior.'
The rabbis reported that they have contacted Abdur Rahman and expect a personal meeting with him in the coming days. They consider it important to acknowledge the pain caused and work towards restoring relations.
They appealed to all Norwood communities, urging them not to let this unfortunate incident cause division. The statement read: 'The words and actions of one person do not define the values of our community or the community we strive to be. Instead, we hope to use this painful incident as an opportunity to build bridges, strengthen relationships, and deepen our understanding and respect for each other.'
Concluding the statement, they stressed that Chabad of Norwood strives to develop a community based on dignity, respect, and mutual understanding, and values the multicultural nature of Norwood, believing that people of any background deserve to feel safe, respected, and welcome.
