how do you regard the breakdown of
communities and
for example how do you how do you regard
you know islam in the muslim world
nowadays it's been very negatively
stereotyped
well look i'm actually interestingly
enough as an orthodox jew a great
champion of islam
the fact is that the jewish community
has a real debt to the islamic community
because when we were kicked out of
catholic spain
in 1492 when we were kicked out of
catholic portugal i think in 1503
it was the muslims who took the jews in
that's why they're jewish communities in
the islamic world until this very day
the islamic community
the jewish community of istanbul dates
from then um it was
it was specifically uh countries uh
not beyond the ottoman empire where jews
were tolerated
uh and they were welcomed in and they
they played they paid a jizya there was
a poll tax they paid but they were never
persecuted there wasn't the holocaust in
the islamic world the fact is
the jews and muslims have so much in
common let me just tell you
there isn't a conflict outside of the
middle east very often i mean muslims
here in the united states and my first
expression to them is one of sympathy
like just no don't people people don't
think the people god forbid look down at
you i honor you
for celebrating your faith let me