During last week's demonstration across the street from the inauguration ceremony for the Islamic Society of Boston mosque in Roxbury, Michael Felsen, Director of the local Workmen's Circle, crossed the street from the mosque to engage some of the protesters in discussion. There were approximately 40 protesters holding up signs that read, "Prayer, Yes, Extremism, No" in response to the long association the ISB has had with troubling anti-semites like Walid Fitaihi and the suicide bombing proponent and gay-hating sheikh, Yusuf al Qaradawi.

Mr. Felsen was one of a few Jewish enthusiasts at the mosque festivities. A longtime supporter of the ISB mosque, he appeared at a press conference there in 2007 in solidarity with Mahdi Bray, a leading official of the Muslim American Society, a branch of the radical Muslim Brotherhood based in Egypt. Mr. Bray once appeared at a rally cheering Hamas and Hezbollah. Alongside David Gordis, President Emeritus of the Hebrew College and Sanford Seltzer also of The Hebrew College, Mr. Felsen attended the event to lend his support.

He expressed the need to talk with leaders of the mosque in order to "find out what they were up to."

I admit I was shocked to hear these words from someone who ostensibly is enthusiastic about the opening of the mosque. By implying that the ISB might be "up to something," Mr. Felsen appeared to cast doubt on the sincerity of the ecumenical pronouncements of that group's leadership. Given the group's open record of associations with extremists, it shouldn't take much research to find out "what they are up to."