National Council of Churches calls for global effort to combat racist violence

Says effort must include taking automatic weapons out of general circulation

by National Council of Churches and Shoulder to Shoulder | Special to Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE — The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA joins its hearts and voice to those who have suffered in the mass shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand. This horrible tragedy is a toxic combination of gun violence, Islamophobia, anti-immigrant xenophobia, and white racist nationalism.

The events in Christchurch are part of a pattern of racist and anti-immigrant shootings at mosques, synagogues, churches, and other houses of worship. We call for a coordinated global effort to combat racist violence and to take automatic weapons out of general circulation.

We remain faithful to interfaith dialogue and to solidarity with our Muslim sisters and brothers. We commend the statement issued by Shoulder to Shoulder, the national coalition-based campaign of religious denominations and faith-based organizations and communities committed to ending discrimination and violence against Muslims.

That coalition calls “on all people of faith and goodwill to listen to those impacted by anti-Muslim bigotry, get educated on the issues, contact your local mosque or Muslim, Arab, Sikh or South Asian organization and show your solidarity through word and action. We call on our nation’s elected officials to denounce hate speech and violence in every form.”

It recommends people use the social media hashtag #ShouldertoShoulder “to show a united trend of interfaith allies and people of goodwill coming together to stand in solidarity with their Muslim neighbors.”