Rabbi, sheikh condemn shootings in Denmark

The two religious leaders emphasized that “although these murderers claim they are acting in the name of religion they are the enemies of Islam."

By JEREMY SHARON
A Danish police officer stands guard in Copenhagen (photo credit: REUTERS)
A Danish police officer stands guard in Copenhagen
(photo credit: REUTERS)
The founder of the Islamic Movement in Israel and head of its Southern Branch Sheikh Abdallah Nimar Darwish has condemned the terror attacks in Denmark along with the well-known centrist figure Rabbi Michael Melchior.
A Jewish man was killed and two police were wounded outside a synagogue in Copenhagen on Saturday, while in a separate attack believed to be carried out by the same shooter, one man was killed and three police officers were injured at a free-speech debate at a cafe in the Danish capital.
Darwish, who heads the Adam Center for Interfaith Dialogue, and Melchior, who heads the The Mosaica Center for Inter-Religious Cooperation, issued a joint-statement on Sunday in which they “condemned and repudiated the criminal murder in the Jewish Community in Denmark.”
The two religious leaders emphasized that “although these murderers claim they are acting in the name of religion they are the enemies of Islam, the enemies of humanity, enemies of faith and the enemies of all human and Godly goodness.”
“Only through a joint religious effort can we isolate the criminals and defeat religious and human hatred. We are determined to continue to work together to strengthen the positive forces amongst religious people from both faiths, especially the youth, to advance dialogue between us, and through a joint belief in the power of pure faith to bring about a better world to bring about peace between peoples and thusly to fulfil the will of God.”