Massacre must spur efforts for peace
Houston and New Zealand are, literally, oceans apart, but the pain that New Zealanders are feeling from the terrorist attack at two mosques resonates with Houstonians, indeed the world, as if Christchurch was a neighbor city. Houstonians have spent the days since March 14 listening to and absorbing horrific news: A murderous rampage killed at least 50 people in an act of terrorism, a recorded and broadcast killing frenzy in an internet age. The shooter targeted Muslims at prayer because they represented that which he hated, and people whom he feared.
We condemn this act of hate and all acts of hate targeting individuals or groups because of their faith, and we pledge to work with Houstonians of all faiths and of no faith to challenge hatred and bigotry and to help our community be a place in which all people can work, live, play and pray.
We seek to build a world of dignity, compassion and love for all people because our faiths compel us to do so and because our faiths dare us to build a better world. Our differing faith traditions all have in common the mandate to love God and love neighbor, to serve before we are served, to understand, care for and respect each other. We know that these values are shared across religions and with those who do not practice a religion but understand the humanity we all have in common, a humanity that knows that we are called to respect one another and learn from each other.
We know that the work we can all do daily and regularly is here in Houston, and that work is to love each other relentlessly, and for that love to disrupt the forces of hate, prejudice and fear that endanger our community. Interfaith Ministries looks forward to the opening of our Brigitte and Bashar Kalai Plaza of Respect in April, a multi-faith and multimedia space designed both to inspire thought and spur action. We hope the plaza will be a leading gathering space for our diverse community, a city in which one in four Houstonians was born outside the United States, so that we may learn better ways to build respect.
As the terroristic massacre in Christchurch, as well as at the Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018, Emanuel AME Church in 2015, the Wisconsin Sikh Gurdwara in 2012 and other horrific acts of hate demonstrate, virtues such as respect, civility and dialogue are no longer luxuries or so-called soft skills, as if they ever were. Contrary to the old saying, talk is never cheap; the words and thoughts that inspired the actions of the killer have exacted a horrible cost.
We have heard that some of the Muslim worshipper’s words to the killer were words of welcome: “Hello, brother.” These simple, but profound words were not only words of welcome but words that sought to establish and recognize our kinship, whether it be actual, spiritual or our simple connection as fellow human beings. In these coming days, we ask Houstonians to be inspired by these words, to welcome each other as brothers and sisters and fellow travelers through life, to be part of each other’s joys and struggles. Reach out to your neighbor. Learn about a new part of Houston. Call on organizations like Interfaith Ministries that seek to build bridges. Serve one another; help communities that are still struggling to recover from Hurricane Harvey.
Challenge words of hatred. Confront acts of bigotry. Each one of us has a part to play.