Muslims at Holocaust museum

WASHINGTON -- Reacting to a conference held by Holocaust deniers in Iran last month, Washington-area Muslim leaders visited the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and spoke out against hatred.

About two dozen Muslims joined Holocaust survivors in the museum's Hall of Remembrance. They stood before an eternal flame flickering over a monument containing earth from death camps and concentration camps, made brief remarks and then lit candies of remembrance.

Imam Mohamed Magid, vice president of the Islamic Society of North America, said he was moved by stories of Holocaust survivors. "Many people have lost their lives because of hate, bigotry," he said. "We have to stand together, committed to compassion, love and mercy."

Muslim groups have visited the museum in the past, said museum director Sara Bloomfield, but the December visit was an unprecedented "act of solidarity."

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