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 Dear Friends,
Across the nation, people of goodwill are gathering this weekend to express their hopes for peace in the midst of rising religious and political tensions. We see these tensions in the recent plans of a congregation to build a mosque and religious center near the World Trade Center site. We see these tensions in the very public announcements of a Christian minister who proposed to burn copies of the Qu'ran as a sign of disrespect and contempt. These tensions have affected all our communities.
As we mark the observances of the anniversary of the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks, many are also observing the close of Ramadan. Others are observing the beginning of the Jewish high holy days. This is an especially important time for us to speak out against the misuse of religion for the purposes of hatred, violence, or denigration of any human being or group.
For our supporters, we wish to offer a few selected highlights of the many efforts being made this weekend by Fellowship of Reconciliation members across the nation to combat Islamophobia and intolerance at this difficult moment.
In Gainesville, Florida, FOR members have helped facilitate the interfaith response to the extremist views of the Dove World Outreach Center. Rev. Eve MacMaster, pastor of Emmanuel Mennonite Church and organizer of FOR's Gainesville chapter, has convened the Gainesville Interfaith Peace Coalition since 2009, when a message stating "Islam is of the Devil" was posted outside the Dove church. The interfaith peace coalition meets in the Beltram Peace Center, named after long-time FOR member Fred Beltram, who died at 92 in 2006 after a lifetime of peacemaking. Speaking today to FOR national staff, Rev. MacMaster said that the past few difficult weeks in Gainesville have also marked a "beautiful coming together of the community here." People of different faith traditions have come together, she said, helping to raise awareness about the tensions in their midst, and there has been a deep "sense of solidarity" with the targeted Muslim community.
 In New York City, FOR executive director Mark Johnson will be among numerous FOR members at a series of events this weekend. Together with Jun San Yasuda (aka "Walks Far Woman") of the Grafton Peace Pagoda (a Zen Buddhist community), Johnson will participate in tonight's vigil organized by New York Neighbors for American Values, the coalition of NYC religious leaders and allies who are standing in solidarity with the Cordoba House/Park51 community center. Other events that Johnson and NY-FOR members will attend this weekend include the Muslim solidarity rally tomorrow afternoon and an interfaith lantern ceremony on Saturday evening.
In Philadelphia, the Interfaith Peace Walk for Peace and Reconciliation is sponsoring "We Cannot Remain Silent" -- a peaceful gathering of people representing different faiths who will gather and read from the Qu'ran, Torah, and the Gospels. The Philadelphia peace walk began in 2003, co-founded by FOR member Vic Compher, who was inspired by the FOR-sponsored Muslim-Jewish Peace Walk that began in 2002 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
In Raleigh, North Carolina, a gathering of Muslims, Jews, Christians and other faith traditions will gather on 9/11 for a time of readings from the Qu'ran. Co-sponsored by the Interfaith Alliance of Wake County and local Muslim leaders, it will be hosted by the Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, a partner congregation of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America. BPF-NA is one of more than a dozen religious peace fellowships affiliated with FOR since their inceptions. The purpose of this gathering, as articulated by the Pullen church organizers, is "to affirm religious freedom in our country, to support our Muslims friends, and to nurture interfaith dialogue." Interspersed will be music, silence, and interfaith prayers
In Stony Point, New York, the Community of Living Traditions -- an interfaith, intentional living community of Muslims, Jews, and Christians committed to peace and nonviolence -- released a "Call to Be Good Neighbors" statement this week. Based at the Stony Point Center, CLT hosts the Muslim Peace Fellowship (also founded by FOR), the Shomer Shalom Network for Jewish Nonviolence, and the Luke 6 Project, and FOR has been a partner and co-sponsor of CLT's efforts since its founding last year. It recently launched a Youtube channel of videos related to its programs, and yesterday posted an "Eid Mubarak" video to mark the end of Ramadan.
 We would love to know of other events and expressions of peacemaking in which you participate in the coming days, and we will post selected entries on FOR's blog. Yesterday's posting by Richard Deats, long-time peace leader and editor emeritus of Fellowship magazine, was "The Oklahoma City bombing of 1995 and today's 'mosque' controversy in Manhattan." Please post your comments on our blog and share with us your concerns and hopes for peace.
In these days of tension, we wish you and all peace.
Faithfully, Ethan Vesely-Flad on behalf of FOR
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