(a thoughtful opinion piece reflecting the practice of inter-faith dialogue in a New Jersey community)
By Larry Snider
Last Sunday was a good day. That’s the day I drove my family to the West Trenton Firehouse ballroom to attend the celebratory dinner of Eid Ul Adha and pre-Thanksgiving offered by the Muslim Community of Greater Trenton and Yardley, Pa. While the dates did not exactly correspond — it took place after the Eid and before Thanksgiving — the sentiment was to bring the community together to share a meal and much more than a plate of food.
As the U.S. re-engages in a war against Islamic extremism, it is sometimes difficult to understand and accept the presence of the Islamic faith in our community. It is necessary for all of us to look a little closer, to comprehend a little more and maybe even to communicate with neighbors on both sides of the Delaware River whom we haven’t yet had the opportunity to meet. We are afraid of what we don’t know.