Dear Friends,
Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of France and Beirut in the unspeakably horrible events this evening. As they cry out in sheer agony, our hearts too cry out with theirs in shock, revulsion and grief.
These events are all but impossible to bear because it is simply a part of being human to know that every life is irreplaceable and we are bound by all that is good to care for one another.
History and human nature show that raw violence only begets more violence. All of our faiths call us to greater degrees and more honest engagements with people of different faiths and religious traditions. All of our faiths call us to be true peacemakers to heal deep divisions in our world. Only when we dare to stand face to face as human beings with a courageous conviction of making life better for each other and especially the weak, the poor and the downtrodden will the light of justice shine out to light the future with hope and goodness.
The world is a perilous place enough, simply because life is vulnerable and uncertain. Brutality no matter who perpetrates it is a crime against life. Our spirits cry out with all who suffer in this world, and we long for our passions for life and hope to inspire us to turn away from senseless cruelty and rise together as brothers and sisters to make the world a better place for the very people and beliefs we claim to hold dear.
God speed the day we live the values we call sacred, divine and truly human.
In Faith,
Naeem Baig
Moderator Religons for Peace USA
President of Islamic Circle of North America