Date: November 11th 2009

INTERFAITH CALL FOR UNITY
IN RESPONSE TO FORT HOOD ATROCITY

The atrocity that took place on November 5 at Fort Hood, Texas, is a tragedy that has undoubtedly brought sadness, anger and grief to many of our brothers and sisters. We mourn along with the families, friends, military personnel and other loved ones who have been deeply hurt by the loss of so many innocent lives. We offer our prayers and support for the victims of this violent act and their families.

We fully support our Muslim brothers and sisters in our community who fear that these actions will make them vulnerable to discrimination and prejudice as the details of this incident unfold. We acknowledge with appreciation the public statements of many Muslim organizations condemning the atrocity at Fort Hood. This is a time when our faith communities need to come together so that all can be treated with respect without discrimination. Our faith traditions remind us to lovingly reach out to those most in need, and we want to make sure no one is excluded in the much needed embrace of communal prayer at this time.

Please join us in offering our prayers and good thoughts for all those affected by the recent killings in Fort Hood.

San Francisco:

• San Francisco Interfaith Council:
  • Rev. James DeLange, Chair
  • Rita R. Semel, Executive Vice Chair
  • Michael G. Pappas, M.Div., Executive Director
• Most Rev. George Niederauer
  Archbishop of San Francisco
• Right Reverend Marc Handley Andrus
  Episcopal Bishop of California
• His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos
  of San Francisco Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco
• Rabbi Douglas Kahn, Executive Director
  Jewish Community Relations Council
• The Reverend Canon Charles Gibbs
  Executive Director, United Religions Initiative

South Bay:

• Rev. Bruce R. Bramlett
  Silicon Valley FACES
• Diane Fisher
  Jewish Community Relations Council of Silicon Valley
• Reshma Inamdar
  SEMAH
• Rev. Nancy Palmer Jones
  First Unitarian Church, San Jose
• Rev. D. Andrew Kille
  Interfaith Space, San Jose
• Rabbi Dana Magat
  Temple Emanu-El, San Jose
• Rev. Ellen Grace O’Brian
  Center for Spiritual Enlightenment, San Jose
• Philip Boo Riley
  Religious Studies Department, Santa Clara University
• Rev. Eduardo Samaniego, S.J.
  Chair, Interfaith Council on Economics and Justice, San Jose
• Karen Stiller
  Peninsula Director, Jewish Community Relations Council
• Rev. Margo Tenold
  Chair, United Methodist Board of Church and Society

If you or your organization would like to be listed as signers of this statement, send your name and organizational affiliation to southbayinterfaith@yahoo.com