June 2021
The Interfaith Council of Halton (ICH) stands for all the different faiths in our region, and as a group, we condemn the horrific discovery of the 215 bodies of children at the remains of a residential school in Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation, the recent anti-Semitic attacks and the Islamaphobic murders in London.
The Interfaith Council of Halton reaffirms that violence has no faith and condemns murder, violence, and hatred of all forms.
ICH members voice together that we must not accept the narrative of hatred or ‘us vs. them’ that fanatics espouse or provoking the narrative of a “clash of civilizations”.
We formed as a group out of compassion to come together to show our solidarity in times of chaos and confusion and say “NO” to injustice, racism, and prejudice of all kinds, to learn from and respect and honor each other.
We sought ways to learn and teach each other and the community about how our faiths have more commonalities than differences and how we stand together for justice and peace.
In a broken world it is challenging to find the light out of the darkness. Today, once again we pledge to face hate with love, violence with peace, and fracture with empathy and unity.
Our faith communities in the Halton Region are shocked and saddened by the terrible terrorist attacks, which do not represent any faith; our faiths condemn all violence and all acts of hatred.
We are Bah’s, Buddhists, Christians, First Nations, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Zoroastrians, and others belonging to a variety of world faiths. We share common values of justice, faith, and peace.
Torah, Bible, Quran, and all religious scriptures remind us of the importance of saving lives, not harming even a single soul.
We celebrate our diversity and honour our uniqueness.
We will not let hate, nor injustice, nor racism, nor stereotypes prevent us from keeping our unity and strength.
We must affirm our unity as people of all faiths standing for compassion, understanding, and respect for all human beings, regardless of race, creed, or culture.
The Interfaith Council of Halton prays for the peace, safety, and wellbeing of all and is united against all forms of hatred, including Anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, anti-black, anti-indigenous people, and others.
May we soon find a day when we will not read of violence and horror, but of togetherness, harmony, love, and respect for each other.
The Interfaith Council of Halton
