Orlando: Love as an Act of Defiance
Multifaith leaders from across the country come together to mourn, pray, and organize after the mass shooting in Orlando. Hosted by Rev. Paul B. Raushenbush, Senior VP of Public Engagement at Auburn Seminary. #LoveAsDefiance #LoveisLove #PropheticGrief
The Religious Institute, working with partner organizations, has drafted a statement for people of faith to show their support and solidarity with the LGBTQ, Latinx, and Muslim communities as well as those living with mental illness. You’re invited to sign this statement to express your solidarity and support.
SIGN ON to the Religious Institute Statement on the Orlando Massacre
The Huffington Post:
Muslims in NYC Remember the Lives Lost in Orlando
United Religions Initiative:
“Why Mourning Orlando in Diverse Communities is Powerful and Necessary“, with links to many communities’ interfaith gatherings.
I’m Done Accommodating Religious Hatred Toward Queer Lives – By Paul Raushenbush, Senior VP of Public Engagement at Auburn Seminary
For too long I have tolerated “Setting a big tent” and “Allowing many points of view” and “Dialogue” when talking about LGBT people as if our lives are up for debate and as if the jury is still out on our humanity, our dignity, or our being made beautifully in God’s image…. All I hear in these conversations now is death.
KAICIID Board of Directors Statement:
“In this deeply painful moment, we extend our prayers and condolences to the families of the victims and those injured in the Orlando attack. This deliberate and merciless massacre is a hate crime that we denounce. We reject violence, in particular when it is perpetrated in the name of religion.
We pledge in the face of this hatred and violence to support those who build bridges of understanding that bring together all communities in respect and understanding and pray they never cease their good works in this supremely important task.”
KAICIID is an intergovernmental organisation mandated to promote dialogue among different religious and cultural groups to promote justice, peace and reconciliation and to counteract the abuse of religion to justify violence. The Centre is governed by a multi-religious KAICIID Board of Directors, consisting of representatives of five religions – Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism.
Via Democracy Now!:
Openly Gay Muslim Imam Reacts to Orlando: Clubs Like Pulse are Safe Havens for LGBT Muslims, Too
IMAM DAAYIEE ABDULLAH: …one of the issues I think is very important, in many communities of color, there’s a stigma about mental health. And in my pastoral counseling that I provide to not only LGBTMuslims, but also young Muslims, interfaith couples, older Muslims who are now in a different culture, we find that the shaming that comes from acknowledging that one may have some issues that may relate to mental health, often people are not willing to go and seek additional help because of that shaming or that cultural stigma that’s associated with it. And I think that we need to make this change in how people approach mental health, so that people can be helped much earlier in the process if they should exhibit certain issues or certain ways of—in which we show there’s some mental illness issues.
feature image: “Minneapolis Vigil – June 12, 2016 Orlando Pulse Shooting” by Tony Webster is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0