The terrorist attack at the Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester has triggered many personal memories. Having grown up in a region where Jews and Arabs have been separated by an immense psychological iron wall, I loved the opportunity in Britain to get to know many British Jews and enjoy their warmth and support.
Like many British Muslims who were born outside the UK, I never met a single Jewish person in my native country, Egypt. This sad fact reflects a bigger tragedy of the Middle Eastern Jews who were mostly ethnically cleansed following the foundation of Israel in 1948.
In my early years in Britain, I was pleasantly surprised to see thriving Jewish communities co-exist happily with their Muslim neighbours and even campaign together for more rights for religious minorities.
Nonetheless, over the years, I witnessed antisemitism in Britain become a growing problem.
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Nervana 