Oops! Bloomberg Greets Muslims With ‘Shalom’
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg accidentally addressed Muslim leaders at a Ramadan gathering with a “Shalom.”
Bloomberg apparently had intended to say “Salaam aleikum,” a traditional Arabic greeting, to those gathered at the Wednesday event at New York’s police headquarters. But instead the mayor said, “Shalom alaikum.”
“Well, it’s common to both religions,” Imam Omar Abunamous of the Islamic Cultural Center of New York told the New York Daily News. “They are the same thing. The same idea.”
Like its Arabic counterpart, the Hebrew phrase “Shalom aleichem” is a greeting that means “peace be upon you.”
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
That’s why I’m paying it Forward, by matching $36,000 of reader gifts. It’s an investment in the Forward’s newsroom, to continue telling the American Jewish story with truth and independence.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
