DEARBORN, MICH. - A national Muslim-Jewish alliance formed to fight hate crimes and forge better ties between the two faiths is branching out.
The Muslim Jewish Advisory Council met Tuesday in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, which has one of the largest and oldest communities of Arabs and Muslims in the United States. Leaders said it was an intentional destination for its first meeting outside New York City and Washington, D.C.
Co-chairs Stanley Bergman and Farooq Kathwari said the Detroit area has been a model for Muslim-Jewish partnerships, and other officials add it could host a regional affiliate office next year. Current affiliate sites include Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Dallas and Miami.
Bergman said U.S. Muslims and Jews previously lacked a "vehicle" where they "could be in a room and talk about respective concerns.''
