CAIR Pittsburgh Expresses Solidarity with Jewish Community After Deadly Pittsburgh Synagogue Attack
Muslim civil rights group offers houses of worship booklet outlining stepped-up security measures.
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 10/27/18) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today expressed solidarity with the Jewish community in Pittsburgh and nationwide following a deadly attack on a synagogue in that city.
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In a statement, CAIR-Pittsburgh Program Director Zohra Lasania said:
“We condemn this heinous and cowardly attack on a house of worship, offer heartfelt condolences to the loved ones of all those who were killed or injured and express our solidarity with the Jewish community during this time of shock and grief.”
CAIR-Pittsburgh Chapter President Safdar Khwaja added:
“This barbaric attack on our neighbors, with whom we share our city and have visited and dialogued multiple times, is deeply disturbing and horrifying. Such an act of terror affects all of us. We offer our full support and assistance in the aftermath of this tragedy, and our doors are open at all times to our neighbors. This attack is on American values and principles of humanity, and we all need to come together to restore civilized values to our society. We urge law enforcement authorities to bring to justice all those responsible or complicit in this act of terror.”
CAIR-Philadelphia Chapter Executive Director Jacob Bender added:
“This hate crime did not happen in a vacuum, but in a climate of bigotry and calls to violence endorsed by the president of the United States. We take this opportunity to remind the president that words matter and have consequences in the real world. The demonization inherent in today’s politics must be brought to an immediate end.”
The Washington-based civil rights organization is urging all houses of worship and faith-based and advocacy organizations to take extra security precautions as outlined in its “Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety” booklet. The advice in CAIR’s security publication is applicable to all institutions, regardless of organizational mission.
The booklet may be viewed at: https://tinyurl.com/BestSafetyPractices
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Pittsburgh Program Director Zohra Lasania, 412-606-3601, zlasania@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Philadelphia Executive Director, 917 660 3805, jbender@cair.com
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cair.pittsburgh@gmail.com; info@pittsburgh.cair.com
