With a hat tip to my boy Talut, a beautiful story on Muslim-Jewish unity from Northwest Arkansas. From the Morning News:

Jewish congregation "thrilled" to work with Muslim contractor on new building

FAYETTEVILLE -- Who knew religious divisions could be solved in an Olive Garden?

Fadil Bayyari and Jeremy Hess laid the groundwork a few weeks ago for Bayyari, a Muslim, to build a new home for Temple Shalom, Fayetteville's Jewish congregation. By the time the endless salad and breadsticks arrived, Bayyari reached an understanding with Hess, head of the temple's building committee. The coming together of faiths often pitted against one another wasn't lost on either.

"Even though this is a Jewish worship place, it is great we can represent the community," Hess said.

Bayyari, a Springdale general contractor, will donate his services to Temple Shalom as they proceed with plans for a $1 million building at the intersection of Sang Avenue and Cleveland Street. Bret Park, the architect designing the new Temple Shalom, said it is too early to calculate how valuable Bayyari's donation will be.

"We don't know how much the materials are going to be," Park said. "We haven't gotten there yet."

The symbolism of the men working together is more significant than bricks and mortar, temple president Bill Feldman said. Bayyari and Feldman agreed demonstrating the positive side of Muslim-Jewish relations is important locally and internationally. "We are able to get beyond the differences in the United States," Bayyari said. "Why can't they?"

Building a synagogue -- for free, pro bono -- is a huge donation for any Muslim to make to his local Jewish community. What motivated him to be so generous?

Bayyari said he approached Hess through a friend in the local Rotary Club about lending his services. He said he thought it would be an important way to show his support. Bayyari previously built a mosque for Fayetteville's Muslim community.

"We are all children of God when you look at it," Bayyari said.

He noted that, if you trace Islam and Judaism to their roots, both begin with Abraham. He said meeting with Hess he saw how the two faiths shared common themes, and so did the people.

"We grew up in the same house, except his father was Jewish and my father was a Muslim," Bayyari said.

One love to Mr. Bayyari. Granted, the deal was struck with a "rabbi" in a non-kosher Olive Garden, thus making me wonder about said "Jewish congregation", but the fact remains, peace and unity have won in one more corner of the world. Ken yirbu.