The name of God and of humanity were desecrated today in Christchurch, New Zealand when people filled with hate violated the sacred precincts of two mosques and murdered 49 innocent people during prayer. We grieve with the bereaved families of the victims and their communities, and we condemn in the strongest terms possible these barbaric acts of premeditated violence and murder.
Today we must all see ourselves as Muslims. We must see ourselves as Muslims because when one of us is singled out on the basis of our faith all of us are hurt and humanity is violated.
Today we must see ourselves as Muslims because to be a Muslim means to submit to the will of Allah, the will of God. And the will of God is that we should not hate. Rather, it is that we should love all of God’s children and hold each and every one sacred, created one and all in God’s image.
Today and every day we stand in solidarity with our Muslim sisters and brothers and join them in praying for strength and healing. May God bless them and us all with peace.
Endorsers of the Statement “Our Hearts Break for our Muslim Brothers and Sisters” by the Coalition of Religious Leaders of New Jersey
Rev. Leslie Dobbs-Allsopp
Interim Executive of the Elizabeth Presbytery
Rev. Peter A. Baktis
Orthodox Church of America
Bishop Tracie Bartholomew
NJ Synod Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Imam Qareeb Bashir
Islamic Council of Greater Trenton
Rev. Dr. Tanya Bennett
Chair of Board of Church & Society, Greater NJ Annual Conference UMC
Drew Theological School
Very Reverend Archimandrite Ambrose Bitziadis-Bowers
Ecumenical Officer, Greek Metropolis
of New Jersey
Rev. Charles Boyer
Salvation and Social Justice
Deacon Patrick Brannigan
NJ Catholic Conference
Rev. Dr. Ursula Cargill
Reformed Church of America, Synod of NJ
- Ali Chaudry, Ph.D.
Islamic Society of Basking Ridge
Rev. Seth Kaper-Dale
Reform Church of America, Synod of New Jersey
Rev. Dr. Harold Delhagen
Presbyterian Synod of the Northeast
Joan M. Diefenbach, Esq.
Director, NJ Council of Churches
Rabbi Menashe East
on behalf of Randolph Ecumenical Council
Rabbi Daniel Geretz
Maayan Shul
Rabbi Matthew Gewirtz
Congregation B’nai Jeshurun
Rabbi Arnold Gluck
Temple Beth El
Fr. Timothy Graff
Archdiocese of Newark
Rev. Rob Gregson
Unitarian Universalist Faith Action
Bishop Carlye Hughes
Episcopal Diocese of Newark
Rev. Jack Johnson
Coordinator, Coalition of Religious Leaders
Rabbi David Levy
AJC- NJ Regional Director
Rev. Sara Lilja
Director of Lutheran Office of Governmental Ministries
Bishop Ernest Lyght
United Methodist Church
Rev. Dr. A. Roy Medley
General Secretary Emeritus, American Baptist Churches, USA
Rev. David Popham
Associate Conference Minister, Central Atlantic Conference of the United Church of Christ
Rev. Jeanne Radak
Presbytery Leader, Newton Presbytery
Bishop John Schol
Greater NJ Conference of the United Methodist Church
Father Guy Selvester
Diocese of Metuchen
Imam W. Deen Shareef
Convener of the Council of Imams in NJ. Resident Imam at Masjid Waarith ud Deen at Waris C.R.D.C.
Rabbi Alan Silverstein
Rabbinical Assembly
Dr. Surjeet Singh
on behalf of Sri Goru Singh Sabba
Bishop William Stokes
Episcopal Diocese of NJ
Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan
Diocese of Camden
Amaury Tanton-Santos
Ecumenical officer Interfaith Relations, Presbytery Synod of the Northeast
Dr. Lester Taylor, Jr.
President, General Baptist Convention
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin
Archdiocese of Newark
Rev. Bob Tomlinson
New Brunswick Presbyter