The Cleveland Plain Dealer recently publish an Op Ed written by leaders of the Interfaith Group Against Hate.
You can find it on Cleveland.com here: https://www.cleveland.com/opinion/2026/06/we-will-not-be-divided-by-hate-donna-weinberger-and-masroor-malik.html?gift=48cfc443-b552-4b95-8edb-d622df5662c4
Please read and share widely. We’re so grateful to be a part of IGAH.
For those who don’t have a subscription, here it is:
OPINION
We will not be divided by hate: Donna Weinberger and Masroor Malik
Published: Jun. 07, 2026, 5:36 a.m. on Cleveland.com
Religious extremism and hate speech should be condemned by all faith traditions.
Threats and attacks against our Jewish and Muslim neighbors are at an unprecedented high. In March, the deplorable attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, has put Jews throughout the country on high alert as actions in other parts of the world became conflated with Jewish preschool children in Michigan. Our Muslim neighbors face rising Islamophobia, from harassment to mosque vandalism, and just this past month, two teenage gunmen — who were radicalized on the internet — killed three community members at the Islamic Center of San Diego who helped shelter roughly 140 schoolchildren inside.
The reality is that, even in the face of hate, communities continue protecting and serving others as a powerful reminder of our shared humanity and collective responsibility to stand against all forms of bigotry.
The past few weeks have shown us how rampant and destructive that hate speech can be. We continually encounter numerous examples of those who attempt to distort our sacred truths with lies, scurrilous attacks and inflammatory rhetoric that most of us would never use in front of our children. We could cite examples of individuals from every major religious group and denomination, but we will refrain from doing so because we know it will only lead to more of the same…. It is time to break the cycle.
Words have consequences. And in this time and place, they can be polarizing, dangerous and deadly. No one should ever feel unsafe because of how they pray or where they worship. It is time to turn the heat down.
We at the Interfaith Group Against Hate represent Christian, Muslim and Jewish congregations. We don’t agree on everything, and in fact we continually have very difficult but honest conversations. These conversations always are conducted in a loving and respectful way. It is the only way out.
As people of faith and conscience, we reject the idea that proclaiming our different spiritual truths necessarily leads to division, exclusion, and hate. Instead, we choose to affirm the shared values that bind us together: diversity, unity, and justice.
Above all, our collective response to hate must be rooted in love. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can.
Our various sacred texts call us to live lives of love and mercy. Our faith traditions support us in answering that call. When we come together, we bring wisdom and practices of all our faith traditions to the work of peace-making. We invest ourselves in building trusting relationships to nurture the unity essential to our work together.
There are those who seek to divide us to score political points. We believe that the weaponization of antisemitism and Islamophobia curtails our freedoms and ultimately makes us less safe. We will not allow them to succeed. Our answer to hate must be unity. The only way forward is together.
We stand in solidarity and will not be divided. Not now. Not ever.
Donna Weinberger is a member of Congregation Mishkan Or in Beachwood and on the leadership team of the Interfaith Group Against Hate. Masroor Malik is a member of the Chagrin Valley Islamic Center in Solon and also on the leadership team of the Interfaith Group Against Hate.
The Interfaith Group Against Hate (IGAH) is a group of faith-based congregations from different religious traditions who have joined together in Cleveland to challenge the White Supremacy movement and all of the hateful words and actions that come with it. Its aim is to provide a different vision for society rooted in our common faith values, which promote peace, justice, and the basic human dignity of each person and to do this through research, education, community, action and mutual aid.