POWER OF E-MAIL from page 30

alleged incident, he says "it didn't hap-
pen." He has the tape from 12 surveil-
lance cameras in his restaurant.
On Friday, Sept. 14, Hachem filed a
report with the Orchard Lake Police
Department, says Officer James
Cockrell. But because there was no
personal threat in the e-mail, there's
no police action that can be taken, he
said. Hachem "would have to take
civil action against the person [who
started the e-mail]," Cockrell says.
Hachem also responded to the other
complaint reported to the ADL about
a flyer in the restaurant's lobby pro-
moting a rally in Ann Arbor in support
of the year anniversary of the intifada
(Palestinian uprising). When Hachem
saw the poster Monday, Sept. 10, he
says, he immediately tore it down.
"How would I put a sign like this in
the middle of the Jewish community?"
he says, adding that more than 80 per-
cent of his clientele are Jewish.
Jewish civil rights groups concur
with Hachem. "We believe the e-mail
to be inaccurate, but we are following
up on it," added Jennifer Doeren,
ADL/Michigan region assistant direc-
tor. She said there have been no other
complaints against the restaurant.
After receiving the e-mail, Joel
Shayne of Farmington Hills replied to
those sending it, and condemned "the
lynch mob mentality" against a busi-
ness owner from whom, he says, he
never had "any indication of anti-
Semitism." He says this is based on per-
sonal discussion with Hachem and his
staff. He also says a menorah is placed
in the restaurant during Chanukah.
Others, who still believe the e-mail
had a grain of truth, felt differently.
One woman who contacted the Jewish
News said she knew the e-mail could
be a rumor, but forwarded it anyway
so people could decide for themselves
about its veracity.
But the local chapters of the ADL
and the American Jewish Committee,
in a joint statement issued this week,
warn against "listening and passing
on" damaging allegations. "We must
work to expose those who want to
destroy and we must encourage toler-
ance and respect. We must come
together as a community."

The Vice of Slander

"The vice of slander is condemned in
all Jewish writing," says Rabbi Marla
Feldman, assistant director of the
Jewish Community Council. For
example, she reads this passage from
The Encyclopedia of Jewish Concepts by
Philip Birnbaum: "You shall not spread

Metro Detroit's Finest
Heating and Cooling
Specialists

slander among your people; nor shall
you stand idly by when your neighbor's
life is at stake (Leviticus 19:16)."
"In Jewish tradition," she adds, "this
is understood to forbid the peddling
of gossip even if the report is true, and
told without malice." According to the
Talmud, slander is a hideous capital
crime.
"Evil gossip, or lashon hara, kills
three," she adds: "The man who tells
it, the one who accept it and the one
about whom it is told."
Rabbi Feldman is not recommend-
ing people ignore abuses. But she, like
Jenifer Doeren of the ADL, strongly
recommends not disseminating these
kinds of messages without first con-
firming their authenticity by contact-
ing either of their organizations.
"Rumors are not real issues," Rabbi
Feldman says. "I'd like to remind
people that the leadership of the
community takes these kinds of sto-
ries seriously and will investigate
them ... If any clear evidence would
be found, the leadership in both the
Jewish and Arab-American communi-
ty would deal with this in an appro-
priate way. But spreading unsubstan-
tiated rumors by e-mail is never an
appropriate way."
There are those already effected by
the rumors in the Detroit community.
Adnan Baydoun, managing editor of
the Arab-American News in Dearborn,
expresses his concern for many in his
community. "Rumors in a situation
like this can be very dangerous," he
says, "even life-threatening."
Baydoun, whose grandfather immi-
grated to the United States in 1900,
wants the Jewish community to know
that his community in Dearborn is
just as terrified and disgusted with
what happened in New York as other
communities in the United States.
"Islam does not condone any loss of
innocent life, which is stated in the
Koran and in our teachings," he says.
"People twisted the religion for their
own purposes, to justify their twisted
ideology."
A local Muslim school was closed
because of a bomb threat, and there
have been many other local incidents,
wrote Rabbi Feldman in an e-mail
message sent to people in the Jewish
community, warning of the dangers of
inappropriate action.
"I think it's unfortunate, but our
instinct when angry or hurt is to
want to assign blame ... but we don't
know where. Unfortunately, we direct
it at those who look and sound like
the one who we believe committed
that act." 7

MEMO SUES MINH

35244656

High Efficiency Furnaces
Energy Saving Central Air
Power Humidifiers
Space-Gard Air Cleaner
Total Comfort Package

FREE ESTIMATES
FINANCING AVAILABLE

(248) 352-4656

www.SMHEATING.com

M HEATING SALES COMPANY

VISA

23262 Telegraph Rd. • Southfieid, MI 48034

MIDDLEBELT DERMATOLOGY CENTER

r

Botox Special

$350 full face

coupon expires 9/28/01

I.

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Botox for crows feet, forehead wrinkles & frown lines
Collagen for wrinkles & lip enhancement
Laser Hair Removal
Micro-dermabrasion and Chemical Peels
Lasers for small facial veins & sun spots
Glycolic Acid treatments for skin rejuvenation
Sclerotherapy for spider viens on the legs

Satter& .5 4efit

eafte

248-476-1000
21141 Middlebelt • Farmington Hills

EARLY FALL
SALE

OPEN

SUNDAYS

12-S

I

at

THE STUDIO

ALL DANCE WEAR fa SHOES

Fl

OW0OFF WITH
THIS AD

I Through October 1st

1
We have shoes for ALL Dance Studios

855-0650

In Orchard Mall • Orchard Lake Rd. at Maple

9/21
2001

31

