ACCORDING TO BARRON, the first Jewish-Arab Seder in D.C. was held 25 years ago, bringing people together to work toward peace in the Middle East. “We are still working,” said Barron, “but look how far we’ve come and how many friendships we have built together.”

Last week, Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain met with Muslim leaders outside Washington, DC in alaudable attempt to make amends for the Islamophobic positions that had come to characterize his candidacy.

Many at the ADAMS Center mosque in Sterling recall the pride and hope they felt when they heard President Obama’s first major address to the Muslim world last year. Some quote parts of it by memory: “Let there be no doubt: Islam is a part of America.”