NEW YORK (iHalal.id) — Sejak peristiwa 9/11 di tahun 2001 lalu saya telah diangkat menjadi salah seorang “Clergy Liaison” atau penghubung antara Kepolisian NY dan Komunitas Muslim New York. Posisi yang hingga saat ini masih saya pertahankan.
Bahkan beberapa tahun lalu saya masih menjadi pelatih sensitifitas budaya (Cultural Sensitivity Training) di Akademi Kepolisian New York (NY Police Academy).
Hanya karena proyek besar yang Nusantara sedang “undertaking” (jalankan), Yaitu pembangunan pesantren dalam beberapa waktu terakhir saya jarang hadir di Kepolisian New York.
Alhamdulillah pagi ini saya menyempatkan diri hadir dalam pertemuan tahunan Kepolisian dan Tokoh-Tokoh agama New York. Dan saya kembali diminta memberikan ceramah singkat mengenai hubungan antara Kepolisian dan Komunitas New York.
Berikut poin-poin yang saya sampaikan:
My brief message to the NY Police Department this morning.
- We deserve to be proud being New Yorkers. We live in the greatest and one of the most beautiful city in the World. And it is indeed the capital of the world.
- But let’s be reminded on one point. The beauty and the strength of this City that we are proud of is not because of its tall buildings and the crowds of Time Square. But because of its bridges, that connect between boroughs and its people of all diverse backgrounds.
- We New Yorkers don’t see security by building walls and separations. But by building more and stronger bridges between our selves, between members of our deeply diverse communities.
- And I thank you the NYPD for not only building bridges between members of the Department. But the NYPD has been a bridge builder between members of the communities at large.
- More importantly I thank the NYPD for constantly and continually bringing security to our community. Not only a sense of physical security and safety. But also psychological one. And that is by establishing a strong bond and relationship between the Department and the Community. That relationship builds a sense of trust and confidence, that lead into strong sense of security in the Community….
- Finally I convey my community warm greetings and appreciation, and invite members of the NYPD to not hesitate to visit or stop by our masajid and community centers. (Shamsi Ali)
New York, November 6, 2019
