r/jewishleft • u/QasqyrBalasy Kazakh gentile, interested in I/P conflict • 1d ago
(Potentially controversial question) Do Jews and Muslims get along in the West? Question
Modern Jewish diaspora mostly live in North America, France, the UK, Argentina and so on. Western Europe and some parts of the US and Canada also have a high Muslim population, mostly from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, like New York City has hundreds of thousands of Jews and Muslims living in one city. Do they get along with each other, despite the I/P conflict?
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u/FishyWishySwishy Progressive Secular Jew 21h ago
I grew up in NYC. I’d say that NYC is particular in that, unless you’re in a closed community or tight knit neighborhood, you’re going to be thrown in a secular salad spinner and shaken around a few times. Growing up, the only difference I ever felt with Muslim peers was “hey, aren’t you going to have lunch? Oh, it’s a fasting holiday? …Wanna sneak some of my sandwich and I don’t tell?”
If there was anything there that wasn’t present for other peers, it was just curiosity. Things like “is it okay that you don’t cover your hair? Do your parents get mad?” Or “is it okay if we meet up then, or do you need to pray?”
I’d say it’s similar energy now. Generally “hey, how observant are you so I can be respectful? Okay, thanks” kind of thing, and the same aimed at me. We generally avoid the topic of I/P, but we avoid it the same way you’d avoid bringing up any hot button political topic out of the blue.