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Act to stop anti-Muslim violence |
| What you can do to stop anti-Muslim
violence
by Rose Marie Berger, an assistant editor of Sojourners
[10-1-01]
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported more than 400
anti-Muslim incidents in the week after September 11, including shooting
deaths in Arizona and Texas. Mosques, Islamic centers, and Muslim
schools have been the targets of bullets, graffiti, and protest
demonstrations.
Here are 10 things you can do to keep the fabric of
your community strong:
- Take flowers to your local mosque or Islamic
center. Introduce yourself to the staff and offer your support.
- Listen to talk radio and respond. ("I've just
heard a caller on your show defame and threaten Muslims. This is not
the American way and won't be tolerated. As for me, my family, and
my community, we stand in solidarity with Muslims and Arab
Americans.")
- Set up an "accompaniment" telephone
hotline. Many colleges and some towns offer a service for people who
must walk alone and feel frightened. Use this system to provide
accompaniment for Muslims who feel threatened, especially Muslim
women who are scared to go about their weekly shopping and errands.
- Identify your chapel or community center as a safe
haven for Muslims or Arab-Americans who are experiencing harassment.
- Organize a local "emergency response
team" to move quickly in the event of any hate crime. They can
be on hand immediately to remove hateful graffiti and offer
immediate support to hate crime victims.
- Talk to your children or youth group about how to
stand with and protect their Muslim classmates.
- Take up a special collection for donation to your
local mosque or Islamic center.
- Educate yourself and your community on Islam.
Sponsor a Christian-Muslim dialogue.
- Write a "Letter to the Editor" of the
local paper denouncing anti-Muslim violence. Use the religious
leaders' statement "Deny Them Their Victory" as an aid.
- Encourage local religious leaders to take a bold,
visible stand in support of the Islamic community.
Source: SojoNet 2001 (c) http://www.sojo.net
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Visit
our lively
new website! |
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GA actions
ratified (or not) by the presbyteries
A number of the most important actions of the 219th
General Assembly have now been acted upon by the presbyteries,
confirming most of them as amendments to the PC(USA) Book of Order.
We provided resources to help inform the
reflection and debate, along with updates on the voting.
Our three areas of primary interest have been:
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Amendment 10-A,
which removes the current ban on
lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender persons being considered as
possible candidates for ordination as elder or ministers.
Approved! |
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Amendment 10-2,
which would add the Belhar Confession to our Book of
Confessions. Disapproved, because as an amendment
to the Book of Confessions it needed a 2/3 vote, and did not
receive that. |
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Amendment
10-1, which adopts the new Form of Government
that was approved by the Assembly. Approved. |
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If you like what
you find here,
we hope you'll help us keep Voices for Justice going ... and
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Some blogs worth visiting |
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PVJ's
Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, PVJ's
Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where
Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and
views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both
personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!
You can post your own news and views,
or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest to you. |
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Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott, who has created
this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years of scholarship
and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the
voices of feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy,
students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers
and devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God
in whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God
through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through
articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and
thoughtful community. |
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John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and philosophical
reflections on everything between summit to shore, including
kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology,
politics, culture, travel, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New
York City and the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by a progressive
New York City Presbyterian Pastor. John is a former member of the
Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian
Church in Flushing, NY. |
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John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive
A Presbyterian minister, currently
serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton,
Tenn., blogs about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized
and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and
lightening up. |
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Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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