Catholic Bishops and Muslim Leaders Issue Joint
Statement
WASHINGTON (September 14, 2001) --
Catholic Bishops and Muslim leaders issued a joint statement today (September
14) in response to this week's terrorist attacks on the United States.
Noting that Catholics and Muslims meet together regularly and engage in many
civic projects, the statement says: "We believe that the one God calls us to
be peoples of peace. Nothing in our Holy Scriptures, nothing in our
understanding of God's revelation, nothing that is Christian or Islamic
justifies terrorist acts and disruption of millions of lives which we have
witnessed this week. Together we condemn those actions as evil and
diametrically opposed to true religion."
This is the full text of the statement:
Catholics and Muslims meet regularly as friends and religious partners in
dialogue and engage together in many community projects. We are fully
committed to one another as friends, believers, and citizens of this great
land. We abhor all terrorist acts and hate crimes and implore all American
citizens to refrain from sinking to the mentality and immorality of the
perpetrators of Tuesday's (September 11, 2001) crimes.
The U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and American Muslim Council, Islamic
Circle of North America, Islamic Society of North America, Muslim American
Society and numerous Islamic centers and councils have co-sponsored dialogues
on religious themes and we commit ourselves to the many noble goals of
interreligious cooperation. We believe that the one God calls us to be peoples
of peace. Nothing in our Holy Scriptures, nothing in our understanding of
God's revelation, nothing that is Christian or Islamic justifies terrorist
acts and disruption of millions of lives which we have witnessed this week.
Together we condemn those actions as evil and diametrically opposed to true
religion.
We urge all American citizens to unify during this national tragedy and
encourage cooperation among all ethnic, cultural, racial, and religious groups
constituting the mosaic of our society. We appeal to American citizens to come
to the assistance of the countless victims of Tuesday's crimes and the victims
of any crimes of hate in the aftermath of those awful events. We join in
supporting our Government in the pursuit of those who were responsible for
Tuesday's terrorist acts, always mindful of the moral imperative to act with
restraint and respect for civilian lives. We appeal to law enforcement
agencies and the general public to assist those who may be targets of hate
crimes. We entreat Catholics and Muslims to join together and with all people
of good will in services of prayer and community programs promoting peace.
Most Rev. Tod D. Brown
Bishop of Orange
Chairman, Bishops' Committee for
Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs
U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi
Director, Islamic Society of Orange County
Islamic Society of North America
Aly R. Abuzaakouk
Executive Director
American Muslim Council
Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed
Secretary General
Islamic Society of North America
Naeem Baig
Secretary General
Islamic Circle of North America
Imam W. D. Mohammed
Muslim American Society
__________________________________
Office of Communications
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 4th Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20017-1194 (202) 541-3000
June 03, 2003 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops