MICHAEL SHAPIRO
Washington Jewish Week
WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Citing the participation of the Nation of Islam in a scheduled "Day of Dialogue," the American Jewish Congress has pulled out of Washington Mayor Marion Barry's effort to discuss racial polarization in the District of Columbia.
Guila Franklin, the AJCongress' Washington representative, said the decision was "based on the fact that this was a day of dialogue that included a group that does not accept Jewish people and does not have respect for Jewish people."
Franklin said the AJCongress is interested in helping Washington solve its problems, but she and her colleagues did not want to find themselves in a "difficult position" of talking to people who do not accept Jews.
The withdrawal came, Franklin said, after she learned that Abdul Arif Muhammad, the mid-Atlantic spokesman for Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, would be participating in planning the mayor's proposed Day of Dialogue.
The program is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 15 at the Washington Convention Center.
The Anti-Defamation League, which did not attend the two planning meetings regarding the dialogue, criticized the mayor for naming a Nation of Islam representative and said it also would not participate.
"We applaud efforts to fight intolerance and build coalitions to address the serious problems of polarization in our community," David Friedman, director of the ADL's Washington regional office, said in a statement.
"However, selecting a representative of the Nation of Islam to serve on the convening committee for the Day of Dialogue undermines the credibility of this potentially important initiative.
"The Nation of Islam is part of the problem. Its leaders have fanned the flames of racial and religious intolerance by espousing racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia and racial separatism."
Friedman said in an interview that Barry's officials put the "onus on the Jewish community" by inviting the Nation of Islam to participate.
This is not the first time Barry's inclusion of the Nation of Islam has upset Jewish leaders.
In January 1995, the mayor combined his annual prayer breakfast with his inaugural breakfast. Scheduled clergy speakers included Rabbi Jeffrey Wohlberg of Adas Israel Congregation, who was dismayed to find a Nation of Islam representative added to the dais at the last minute.
The Day of Dialogue is "the first in a series of initiatives to address the issues of polarization" in the District of Columbia, according to a statement from the mayor's office. The stated goals of the dialogue are to discuss and develop solutions to combat racial polarization.
Karen Kalish, president of Operation Understanding, a Washington-based group that fosters cooperation between Jewish and black teenagers, said the inclusion of a representative of the Nation of Islam would not stop her from participating in the dialogue.
The inclusion of the Nation of Islam "doesn't make a difference at all," said Kalish, who is on the Day of Dialogue planning committee. "I want to eradicate racism. I'll do whatever it takes."
Cheryl Kravitz, executive director of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, who is also on the planning committee, agreed with Kalish. She said it is important for groups who are different from one another to engage in a dialogue.
Barry was reelected as mayor after serving a prison term for cocaine possession.
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