'Harmless Curiosity': Media Downplay Muslim Women Casing Florida Synagogues
"If you see something say something."
2.19.2016
News
Tiffany Gabbay
f you see something, say something" - then have your legitimate concerns trivialized and dismissed outright by authorities and local media alike.
That is precisely what is happening right now in the Miami metro area where a pair of Muslim women (we are unclear if it is the same pair or different pairs) -- donning hijabs and carrying a Quran -- have been casing multiple synagogues -- at least three to date -- asking suspicious questions about when large crowds gather for different kinds of services.
Below is how the incident was first
reported by the local
CBS affiliate on February 17:
“These two people came into one of the temples in the community. One, if not two, walked inside the temple,” said Yona Lunger of the two Middle Eastern women in question.
A police report shows two women pulled up in silver Nissan Altima to Beth Israel at 770 W 40th St. The driver remained silent while the passenger was standing just outside the car. The woman that was standing outside the car asked, “Did you have services already?”
The people they engaged replied, “Yes.”
Then the woman asked, “When are you saying Yizkor?”
The men found the question unusual because Yizkor is a prayer that is only used a few times a year such as Yom Kippur.
They replied, “We only use it a few times a year.”
The woman then asked, “Do you also get together during the week?”
They replied, “Yes, in the evenings.”
According to the
CBS report, Lunger said that at first he did not think much of the incident until the next day when his mother told him that a similar incident occurred at a different temple in the area. Understandably, Lunger became more than a tad concerned. The report continues:
...
It is critical to condemn bias reporting like that cited above, which minimizes threats by making definitive statements about so-called "harmless intentions." Many people read these reports and take them at face value, thus lowering their guard when the opposite - vigilance - is needed. Such reporting is irresponsible and absolutely reckless, as it can get people hurt or even killed.
I hope that Jewish communities across the country, not just in South Florida, remain ever-vigilant despite threats like these being downplayed by law enforcement and the mainstream media. We should not forget the painful lessons of San Bernardino so soon.
'Harmless Curiosity': Media Downplay Muslim Women Casing Florida Synagogues