Jewish Patrol Group Aids Wary Muslim Community in London Borough
by Zach Pontz
A local British chapter of the Jewish patrol group Shomrim have offered up their services to mosques in their community, in a sign of solidarity, the Hackney (UK) Gazette reported Monday.
The deal was spearheaded by Hackney, London Liberal Democrat Councillor Ian Sharer, himself an Orthodox Jew.
He said: “I was asked by Muslim friends to chair the meeting. The meeting was a great success. The Shomrim patrols have agreed to include the local mosques and other buildings as part of their routine patrols.
“Both Shomrim and the NLCC are great organizations and it’s nice to bring them together.”
Chaim Hochhauser, 33, one of two Shomrim supervisors, who lives in the area, said: “The Muslim community approached Councillor Sharer and asked him what they could do to protect themselves.
“He called us and asked us if we could help. We told them what we could do. We are pleased the Jewish community wanted to help.
“Both communities get on really well here. It’s a shame it’s not like this all over the world. We help out all the whole community, not just the Jewish community.”
According to reports, the Muslim community in Hackney, a borough of London, has seen an increase in violence against it since the brutal slaying of Drummer Lee Rigby by Islamic extremists in Woolwich last month. According to the Hackney Gazette, there was an arson attack on a Somali community center in Muswell Hill and another local Mosque has reported a rise in hate crime incidents.