Muslim veterans in US offer to guard Jewish cemeteries and synagogues

It comes after hundreds of headstones were pushed over at two cemeteries in Philadelphia and St Louis while dozens of Jewish community centres have received bomb threats in recent weeks.

Hundreds of headstones have been vandalised at the Mount Carmel cemetery in north-east Philadelphia, pictured here on February 28, 2017. Bastiaan Slabbers / EPA

NEW YORK // Muslim veterans of the US armed forces are offering to guard Jewish cemeteries and synagogues across the country following a wave of apparently anti-Semitic vandalism.

Hundreds of headstones have been pushed over at two cemeteries in Philadelphia and St Louis while dozens of Jewish community centres have received bomb threats in recent weeks.

Some Muslims have already offered their support by raising money to help repair the damage to graves. Now, others are taking to Twitter to offer their services in trying to prevent further attacks.

Tayyib Rashid, who tweets as @MuslimMarine, wrote on Tuesday: “If your synagogue or Jewish cemetery needs someone to stand guard, count me in.”

His offer prompted dozens more, some from veterans and others from ordinary citizens.

“Houston area Jewish community I spent ten years protecting our country and I will gladly protect Jewish places of worship if you need me!,” tweeted veteran Khalid Whalid.

The offers of support come at a difficult time for minority religions in the United States.

A bitterly divisive election and the rise of Donald Trump's America First philosophy is being blamed for a rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes.

At the same time, there has been an epidemic of Swastikas appearing on public buildings.

Jewish centres and schools started reporting bomb scares on January 19 when 15 of them received anonymous threats. Since then, three more waves of threatening messages have been sent, bringing the total to 100 spread over 33 states.

Mr Trump finally confronted the problem during his address to Congress on Tuesday.

“Recent threats targeting Jewish community centres and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, as well as last week’s shooting in Kansas City, remind us that while we may be a nation divided on policies, we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all of its very ugly forms,” he said.

Muslim community leaders have reached out to Jewish groups to offer solidarity.

A crowdfunding appeal launched by two high-profile activists to repair damage to a cemetery in St Louis has raised more than US$155,000 (Dh569,241) in less than two weeks. The appeal had originally aimed to raise $20,000.

Its organisers, Tarek El Messidi and Linda Sarsour, said they wanted both communities to stand united against hate.

And the latest offers of help promote a similar message.

US veteran and anti-Islamophobia campaigner Nate Terani tweeted: “I’m a Muslim Veteran in Arizona & will readily stand guard at any Jewish Synagogue or Cemetery at ANY hour. #WeAreOne.”