Simmons: 'Honor MLK, Embrace Muslim Americans'

MLK Day reminds us to keep alive Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s message of love understanding and acceptance of one another. This MLK Day, hip hop pioneer Russell Simmons and spiritual leader Rabbi March Schneier joined forces to write an Op-Ed piece in the spirit of that message, encouraging Americans to honor Dr. King by embracing the country’s Muslim community…

“The Muslim community is one of our most racially and ethnically diverse communities,” Simmons and Schneier pointed out, “including Whites of European descent, Blacks of African descent, as well as Arabs, Asians, Hispanics immigrants and the native born.”

The article, which ran on HuffingtonPost.com, reminded readers that Muslim leaders have always “condemned terrorism and extremism,” and urged Americans to “be cautious of the rampant demonization of the American Muslim community.”

Simmons and Schneier — both leaders of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding — left us with a quote from Dr. King, “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”