WHAT: Interfaith press conference responding to Pittsburgh synagogue shooting
WHEN: Tuesday, October 30, 1:30 pm
WHERE: The Friends Center, 1501 Cherry St, Philadelphia (Rufus Jones Room, 1st Floor)
(PHILADELPHIA, PA, 10/29/18) — On Tuesday, October 30, 2018, clergy and leaders from the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religious communities will gather at the Friends Center for a press conference in reaction to the massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The speakers will denounce not only the horrific mass murder in Pittsburgh, but the climate of hate in which the massacre took place, a climate which may have been contributed by the words of the President of the United Sates and fueled by elements in the media and on the internet.
Said Jacob Bender, executive director of CAIR-Philadelphia, “This crime did not happen in a vacuum, but in an environment of xenophobia and white supremacy and calls to violence. The demonization inherent in today’s politics must be brought to an immediate end.”
Said Imam Mikal Shabazz of the Masjidullah Mosque in Philadelphia, “We will stand together at this press conference to exemplify our unity in diversity in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, so as to remind everyone that, as one of G’d’s servants said, “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. The entire Muslim community mourns the horrific deaths of our Jewish brothers and sisters at the Tree of Life Synagogue, and extends its condolences to the family and friends of the victims. As G’d says, ‘O mankind, indeed We have created you from a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes so that you may get to know one another (and not despise each other). Indeed, the best of you are those who are the most righteous.’”
?The Press Conference is hosted by CAIR-Philadelphia (America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization) and Masjidullah, one of the largest mosques in Philadelphia.
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.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Philadelphia Executive Director Jacob Bender, 267-515-6710 (office), jbender@cair.com
