A Call For Moderation, Mutual Understanding And Acceptance In Harrisonburg And Rockingham County

Islamic Center, 1330 Country Club Road

The following statement is being proposed for endorsement and acceptance by members of the local Interfaith Association at its monthly luncheon meeting this Thursday noon. It is being hosted by members of the local mosque, and all are welcome:

"The organizations and individuals endorsing this statement are deeply saddened by the recent hatred expressed towards immigrants by citizens emboldened by presidential candidates and amplified by media outlets. We are deeply saddened by the violence that is taking place at home and abroad. We desperately need a productive public struggle over our different ethical and social choices. 

"It is time to stop and recover our values. We are a nation of immigrants of different cultural, linguistic, and religious backgrounds, which makes our communities rich, diverse, and productive.

"Our community of Harrisonburg and Rockingham has a long lasting history of welcoming immigrants  and celebrating the role that everyone contributes to our society, and will not lose our souls to hate. Our call is not only to pray, but also to educate and engage in loving one another, as is the mandate of all of our faith communities.

"We would like to let our community know that we intend to work together to stop religious intolerance, bigotry, religious discrimination, fear, and xenophobia from taking over the hearts of our institutions and members of our community.

"We add our voice to the call of many others in the country who seek to promote common understanding, to love our enemies, to dialogue with those who are different than us, to recognize and celebrate our differences, and to demand that hate-speech in our political parties stop."

You can RSVP to sanderwm@jmu.edu