The Jewish Catholic Muslim Dialogue of Southern New Jersey strongly condemns the despicable attack on a synagogue in Jerusalem last week.
Once again terrorists murder people peacefully at prayer in their house of worship.
As a community group of Catholics, Muslims and Jews, we are united in condemning this brutal and heinous act. We condemn the depravity of those who celebrate and encourage such attacks. Such atrocities do not advance any political or religious goals. They are acts of evil, pushing any opportunity for peaceful resolution of political differences further away while feeding religious fear and enmity.
Too often in both recent decades and the past, in Israel and elsewhere, synagogues have been attacked and the Jewish worshippers were killed.
We recall with sadness attacks on other people from a broad spectrum of faiths at prayer in their mosques, churches, and temples.
People of good conscience, of whatever political or religious identity, must stand united in condemning terrorist attacks on anyone in their houses of worship or on innocent people wherever they may be.
We urge all political and religious leaders to stop any incitement to commit similar acts of violence. We must all affirm the wisdom of the Jewish Talmud, and of the Qur’an that says: “He who saves a single life, it is as if he or she had saved the whole world.”
Alan Respler and Farhat Biviji,
Co-Facilitators
Father Joseph Wallace,
Executive Committee