Faith groups take a stand for Muslims
To the Bulletin:
As the tenth anniversary of 9/11 approached, Muslims in the Amherst area received an unprecedented expression of support. A statement developed by the Interfaith Opportunities Network (ION) deploring "anti-Islamic harassment" was endorsed by more than a dozen religious congregations and organizations.
"As people of faith, we voice our support for Muslims in our community and beyond. We deplore anti-Islamic harassment, prejudice, hate-speech and hate-based-actions," the statement reads. "We stand with our Muslim sisters and brothers and oppose any mistreatment or exclusion based on religion. We welcome opportunities to grow in our understanding of each other's faiths, and to build relationships of mutual respect, trust and friendship."
ION is a group of lay representatives from participating congregations that meets monthly for education and collaboration. The organization said the support statement was "a response to the fact that some of our local Muslims have at times felt unwelcome, stereotyped and/or misrepresented, while nationally Muslims have been targeted by hate speech and action, encountered opposition to establishing mosques, and in some cases been accused of all being violent terrorists.
We believe that this statement represents historic cooperation among local Christians, Jews and Muslims." Members of the Hampshire Mosque in Amherst and the Turkish Cultural Center/UMass Rumi Club, ION participants, have welcomed the statement of solidarity. All have been reaching out to the larger community with events featuring both education about Islam and generous hospitality.
Those endorsing the statement include ION congregations plus others: United Church of Christ churches First Congregational, South Congregational and North Congregational, Amherst, and North Hadley Congregational and First Congregational, Hadley; Grace Episcopal, Amherst; Immanuel Lutheran, Amherst; Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst; Jewish Community of Amherst; Wesley United Methodist, Hadley; First Baptist Church, Amherst; Hope Community Church, Amherst; Baha'i Community of Amherst; the Office of Religious Life at Amherst College, the Rev. Paul Sorrentino, director ,and Chris Clark, DHM, Catholic religious adviser; and United Christian Foundation at UMass-Amherst. Mount Toby Friends Meeting previously published a similar statement of support.
Please find more information at www.interfaithamherst.org, the ION website.
Joan Lindeman
Amherst
