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Mayor Meets With Muslim Leaders
Villaraigosa had been criticized for visiting a Jewish rally but not with local Islamic groups.
By Ralph Frammolino, Times Staff Writer
August 7, 2006
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa met with local Muslim leaders Sunday to apologize for not answering their e-mails about the crisis in Lebanon and pledged to continue efforts to be more visible in Los Angeles' Islamic communities, according to those who attended.
"It was gracious of him to say I apologize for the lack of communication," said Shakeel Syed, executive director of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, an umbrella group of mosques and organizations representing 500,000 Muslims.
Syed characterized the hour-long discussion between Villaraigosa and the 10 Muslim leaders as a "constructive" exchange they hoped would help head off the kind of divisiveness that has roiled Arab and Jewish communities in the Detroit area, which has a large Arab population.
Villaraigosa called the meeting after local Muslim leaders held a news conference Friday to express their frustration that the mayor had attended a rally by the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles but failed to respond to their repeated telephone calls and e-mail invitations to interfaith vigils for those killed on both sides in Lebanon.
Saying they were "fed up" at being "shoved aside and ignored," the Muslim leaders scolded Villaraigosa for not representing all groups touched by the Middle East conflict and urged him to use his clout to promote mutual understanding.
Villaraigosa reacted by meeting with the leaders Sunday, explaining that a mix-up by his staff prevented him from seeing the invitations, said spokeswoman Janelle Erickson.
