Greetings in Love to all Muslims in honor of 50 people killed and 48 people injured at the Al Noor and Linwood mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand —sent from the Resource Center for Nonviolence in Santa Cruz, California.
We are connected with you. We are you. This act of white supremacy targets all humanity. Any act to murder, intimidate, exclude, dominate, and demonize groups of people denies the fact that every person is sacred. Murdering people in religious sanctuaries assaults the sanctity of every life.
We also bear responsibility. Our own nation has institutionalized white supremacy since the first European settlers arrived on land inhabited by indigenous nations. U.S. treatment of Muslim peoples in Middle Eastern wars, in immigration policy, and via cultural and political demonization contributes to white supremacist ideologies in the United States and around the globe.
The Resource Center for Nonviolence calls on all people who read this statement to act in support of Muslim people—in New Zealand and in our communities and other nations of the world. Contact your local Islamic Centers and send your personal support. Get to know folks there. In Santa Cruz county there is the Santa Cruz Islamic Center, Watsonville Islamic Center, Muslim Students Association of UCSC, and Salaam Initiative of Cabrillo College. You may also be interested to join the Muslim Solidarity Group in Santa Cruz County. In Northern California, contact local Islamic centers and CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
The civil rights organization is urging mosques and other Islamic institutions to take measures outlined in its “Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety” guide. The advice in CAIR’s security publication is applicable to all institutions, regardless of organizational mission.
Funds are being raised for the victims and their families through a joint effort among New Zealand organizations on Launchgood.com.
A nonviolent response is not just to abhor violence, but to act in denouncing white power movements, insist our governments denounce white power terrorism, and bring Muslims, Sikhs, and all People of Color into the center of political and social life in our communities, country and
world.
We need push Congress and corporations to condemn white supremacy, eliminate hate speech, and stop social media platforms that organize hate violence.
Join with Muslim neighbors to strengthen community bonds that will keep everyone safe and celebrate many gifts of faith and resilience. Use our grief to make love and solidarity stronger.
Salaam,Staff and Steering Committee members, Resource Center for Nonviolence
We are organizing a vigil, details not determined yet. Call 831-423-1626 for more information.