New Zealand Mosque Massacre

Calgary Interfaith Council | Statement of Solidarity
​in the Wake of the New Zealand Mosque Massacre
March 15, 2019
 
The Calgary Interfaith Council strongly condemns the hatred and violence that took the lives of 49 innocent Muslim worshippers and injured many more in the unprovoked attack on the twin mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.  No one should ever fear for their safety when attending a house of worship and such a desecration of the fundamental right to practice one’s religion is abhorrent to all peace loving people.
 
The Calgary Interfaith Council works tirelessly to promote understanding and harmony among diverse religious traditions and to build bridges of respect and cooperation here in Calgary and beyond.  We call upon our fellow Calgarians to raise their voices of repudiation of hatred and violence and to reach out to the Muslim community with words and acts of condolence in this distressing moment.
 
We further call upon religious leaders of all traditions to devote a portion of their worship service over this weekend to offering prayers of support and comfort to the Muslim community in New Zealand and to exploring ways that use the power of our religious values and institutions to foster the spread of respect, love and harmony so as to overwhelm the darkness of enmity and intolerance.
 
Calgary Interfaith Council Leadership Team
Malik Ashraf, Pastor Wallace Bornhuse, Sister Ger Curran, Rev. Debra Faulk, Rabbi Mark Glickman, Dalton Harding, Rev. Dave Holmes, Rev. Adrian Martens, Rabbi Shaul Osadchey, Imam Azfar Rizvi, Imam Fayaz Tilly            

Note from Rabbi Shaul Osadchey (Co-chair, CIC): Two vigils planned for today (March 15) which we encourage you to attend:  2 pm at the Genesis Center and 7 pm at City Hall.