Our Bo
ard was extremely distressed to hear of the massacre of 50 Muslims and dozens more injured during Friday prayers at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. It appears that the shooter, a white supremacist, left behind a 74-page manifesto filled with anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant hate that was inspired by U.S. right-wing extremism and our own President himself with the statement that “Trump is a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose.”
With hate crimes against not only Muslims but Jews, blacks and immigrants rising globally, we need to all take steps to oppose in the strongest possible terms Islamophobia and other hate crimes and respond. There are resources like American Friends “Communities against Islamophobia project” that can help us learn how to respond when someone in our community makes such comments. Locally, Vickie Fouts of Fresno Uprooting Racism, would also be a good resource. You can reach her at socialjustice@sti.net.
As always, we at the Center are always available for you to drop in if you want to talk to someone. We are open Monday-Friday from 11-3 and our address is Fresno Center for Nonviolence, 1584 N. Van Ness Ave., Fresno, CA 93728.
