Coalition of Religious Leaders of New Jersey Express Heartbreak for Victims of Christchurch Shooting

Our Hearts Break for Our Muslim Brothers and Sisters
March 15, 2019
 
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
 
V. 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
 
M. 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