You are invited to a “Standing on the Side of Love” Vigil on Sat. Sept. 11, 6:00 - 7:00p.m
joan garnett
I am taking the liberty of telling you of
an important vigil just being planned. WHERE WILL YOU BE WHEN THEY BURN THE QURAN? Plans for a “Standing on the Side of Love”✷ Vigil Saturday, September 11 6:00 - 7:00p.m. Peace & Justice Plaza, Chapel Hill THE CALL The Community Church of Chapel Hill Unitarian Universalist asks you to stand with us in support of our Muslim brothers and sisters at an inter-faith “Standing on the Side of Love” ✷ service on Saturday evening, September 11th from 6:00 to 7:00pm. The vigil will take place at the Peace & Justice Plaza (Old Post Office) on Franklin Street at Henderson Street, Chapel Hill. Local clergy and other people of faith and goodwill are being asked to participate in reading from the Quran, other sacred texts and prophetic writings. Bring a sign! Bring yourself to... Stand on the Side of Love... in support of religious freedom for all as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. BACKGROUND A couple of weeks ago, the Standing on the Side of Love✷ campaign urged President Obama to take a stronger stand for religious freedom. Last week, a coalition of faith groups echoed this message when they met with the Justice Department to encourage the Obama administration to take a more public stance against anti-Muslim hate speech and hate crimes. Unfortunately, anti-Muslim hate speech and hate crimes continue to spread. In the past couple of weeks alone: • A man was arrested for shouting anti-Muslim slurs as he urinated outside a mosque in the Astoria section of Queens. • A 21-year-old college student is accused of repeatedly stabbing a Manhattan taxi driver after asking if the driver is Muslim. • Fire was set to a planned mosque and Islamic Center in a Memphis, Tennessee suburb. As has been widely reported in national and world media, the Dove World Outreach Center and Church in Gainesville, FL plans to “burn the Koran [on September 11th, 2010, from 6pm - 9pm] on the property of Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, FL in remembrance of the fallen victims of 9/11 and to stand against the evil of Islam. Islam is of the devil!”
✷Standing on the Side of Love is a public advocacy campaign that seeks to harness love’s power to stop oppression. It is sponsored
by the Unitarian Universalist Association and all are welcome to join. Go to www.standingonthesideoflove.org 106 Jones Street Chapel Hill, NC 27514 |