(PITTSBURGH, PA, 10/27/18) — CAIR-Pennsylvania, the state affiliate of the Council on American Islamic Relations, denounced the shootings at the Tree of Life Synagogue near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania earlier this morning.
Said CAIR-Pittsburgh president Safdar Khwaja, “This barbaric attack at a house of worship 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 effects all of us. We offer our fullest 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. ”
Said Jacob Bender, executive director of CAIR-Philadelphia, “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.”
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-Pittsburgh President Safdar Khwaja, 412-512-3032; CAIR-Philadelphia Executive Director Jacob Bender, 267-515-6710, jbender@cair.com
