SoCal interfaith groups lend support following Colleyville hostage crisis

Interfaith groups are standing in solidarity with the Jewish community after the hostage crisis that unfolded during a Jan. 15 livestream of Shabbat services at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas.

Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker and three congregants were held at gunpoint by a British national identified as 44-year-old Malik Faisal Akram. Akram demanded the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani national deemed an al-Qaida terrorist by the U.S. government and who has been in an American prison since 2010 on charges related to the attempted murder and assault of United States officers and employees in Afghanistan two years earlier, according to the Forth Worth Star-Telegram.

Approximately six hours into the 11-hour standoff, Akram released one of the hostages. Cytron-Walker told CBS News on Jan. 17 that the remaining hostages were “terrified” during the last hour. “When I saw an opportunity where he wasn’t in a good position, I made sure that the two gentlemen who were still with me that they were ready to go. The exit wasn’t too far away. I told them to go. I threw a chair at the gunman and I headed for the door. And all three of us were able to get out without even a shot being fired.”

Akram died during a confrontation with law enforcement after the hostages escaped. Authorities have yet to disclose whether he was killed by law enforcement or took his own life.

LA Voice, a multiracial, multifaith  nonprofit, issued a statement and sent prayers to the families that “had to endure an unimaginable pain. We continue to pray for the safety and wellbeing of our Jewish brothers, sisters and siblings throughout the world,” the statement read. “No matter how we pray or in what language, we in the LA Voice Family continue to hold love as our central value. The acts of the hostage-taker stand in opposition to all we hold dear. Antisemitism has no place in our democracy… and we all must work to uproot it. As we have witnessed antisemitic rhetoric and violence increase in our country, we hold firmly to the belief that the way to stop this violence is to follow the example of the rabbi who was taken hostage, a rabbi who has devoted his rabbinate to building interfaith bridges of belonging and to serving the cause of justice.”

The Interfaith Council of Greater Rancho Santa Margarita issued a unity statement, which to date has been signed by 53 faith leaders and community members that stated in part, “We, the members and friends of the Interfaith Council of Greater Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, stand for the value of unity and collaboration of humanity across faith traditions. We appreciate praying in different houses of worship, and the sanctity that resides therein. As such, we are absolutely appalled by the situation that has transpired in Colleyville, Texas at Congregation Beth Israel. We recognize the terror and spiritual violence such an incident has unleashed. On this Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, we lift up his words that ‘hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.’ And, so we will flood this incident with the light of love and solidarity with the people in that congregation … We denounce acts of bigotry, bullying, marginalization, oppression and violence targeting any individual or group.”

Council President Rabbi Heather Miller spoke with SoCal Jewish News about the importance of having support from interfaith leaders and their communities during difficult times. “On a spiritual level there [is] a seed of hope [knowing] that people will show up for us and that change is possible. To be present and say, ‘I see you.’ When religious minorities join together in deep solidarity around shared values, that opens up space for us all to thrive. And all the more so when members of the religious majority share in the work and the responsibility to build a world where we all have the space to believe and practice as we choose. Together, we can solve community problems … with the wisdom from our various perspectives and resources from our communities. Together we are stronger and we are all better served in coalition.”

NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change issued a statement saying that incidents of violence and fear including the attack in Colleyville do not occur in isolation. “In these first few days after a moment of acute trauma, the details are still unfolding but Muslim and Jewish community members are reaching out to each other with comfort and compassion,” the statement read.

NewGround Co-Chair Nurya Shabir addressed Temple Israel of Hollywood on the evening of Jan. 15 saying, “As Muslims and Jews, along with all people of faith, we are bound by a sacred covenant to be one another’s protectors. By building alliances with other faith-based communities, Rabbi Charlie (Cytron-Walker) is doing exactly that. This work of knowing and understanding one another’s communities is essential to keeping all of us as strong as we can be.”

NewGround Associate Director Andrea Hodos added, “It’s an important moment … to remind ourselves that the way we talk about one another within our communities has real-world implications. It is crucial that we build real relationships of both solidarity and accountability. The strength of our reciprocal solidarity depends on the strength of our reciprocal accountability.”