The San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), the Islamic Networks Group (ING), and the Northern California Islamic Council (NCIC) today affirmed their solidarity with a San Francisco-based African-American Christian a church that was vandalized with graffiti earlier in the week.
Vandals covered the walls of Saint Paul Tabernacle Baptist Church in San Francisco’s Bayview district with what was described as “hate-filled and racist graffiti.”
SEE: Black Church in Bayview Vandalized with Racist Graffiti
“Racism and bigotry have no place in our Bay Area community which stands for diversity, tolerance and harmony,” said Ameena Jandali, ING Co-founder.
NCIC Chair Dr. Hatem Bazian said, “Targeting African American churches with graffiti is an act of violence directed at the collective identity and spiritual sanctuary of the community. We stand with our African American brothers and sisters, and the interfaith community, against the rising tide of bigotry and intolerance in our society.”
“California Muslims stand with the African-American Christian community as it is once again targeted by hatred,” said CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo. “We ask members of all faiths to join together to repudiate the growing intolerance in our society that results in such incidents.”
CAIR-Texas recently expressed solidarity with the Jewish community after vandals spray-painted Nazi swastikas and racial slurs on gates, walls and monuments near the Rodfei Sholom Synagogue in San Antonio.
SEE: CAIR Expresses Solidarity with San Antonio Jewish Community Following Hate Vandalism
The Muslim community has in the past expressed solidarity with Jewish, Christian and Sikh communities in New Mexico, Florida, South Carolina, Maryland, Massachusetts, and California following acts of violence, vandalism, arson or bombings.
SEE: CAIR Stands with African-American Community After Terror Attack on Charleston Church
CAIR-MA, Muslim Justice League Stand with Mass. Church Targeted by Hate Graffiti
ING Joins SF Faith Leaders in Response to Racist Acts of Violence and Destruction
Why Muslims Must Continue to Stand Up to Anti-Semitism
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
NCIC is a peer to peer network which promotes dialogue and facilitates co-operation among Muslim organizations. NCIC encourages active engagement in the larger civic society and betterment of the society at large.
Islamic Networks Group (ING) is a non-profit organization with affiliates around the country that counter prejudice and discrimination against American Muslims by teaching about their traditions and contributions in the context of America’s history and cultural diversity, while building relations between American Muslims and other groups.
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CONTACT: CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo, 626.252.0885, zbilloo@cair.com; NCIC Chair Dr. Hatem Bazian, 510.914.6722, hatemb@berkeley.edu; ING Communications Manager Tim Brauhn, 720.381.1096, tim@ing.org