Eboo Patel: Standing up and speaking out

Various Religious Symbols (Reguly)

Lutheran pastor Martin Niemoller, who lived from 1892 to 1984, was once one of Hitler’s supporters.  However, when Niemoller later opposed Nazi control of the German Protestant churches, he was imprisoned in concentration camps for eight years (and almost

executed).  As a result of this harrowing persecution, Niemoller grew to regret his former lack of concern for Nazi victims.

Niemoller’s famous statements that began with the phrase “First they came…” reflected this hard-earned, heartfelt regret.  One version goes like this:  First they came for the communists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.  Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a

trade unionist.  Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew.  Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Interfaith pioneer Eboo Patel has been tirelessly working to stem today’s continuing tide of social and religious persecution.  In an article for The Huffington Post titled Attacking Mitt Romney, Attacking Faith, Patel points out that the latest “M” word is “Mormon” rather than “Muslim.”  In the true spirit of Niemoller’s later wisdom – Patel, a Muslim, recognizes the importance of speaking out against Mormon-phobia.  Also once guilty of having remained silent in the face of blatant anti-Semitism, Patel feels that he then failed his own faith by not living up to what it means to be a Muslim.

Patel now emphatically and publicly asserts:  My faith teaches me to stand up for those who are suffering, especially if they don’t share my faith.  It is what Muslim heroes from the Prophet Muhammad to Badshah Khan did.  Patel then cites other examples of such steadfastness - such as Bonhoeffer’s support of Jews in Nazi Germany, and Skye Jethani’s support of Muslims during the “Ground Zero Mosque” debates.

Resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Niem%C3%B6ller

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eboo-patel/attacking-mitt-romney_b_1148715.html

Copyright May 17, 2012 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved