DEARBORN, Michigan – The Interfaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit will convene an interfaith prayer vigil and silent procession at the Islamic Center of America at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 21, to “affirm our commitment as a community to unity, harmony and civil discourse.”
The April 21 ceremony was planned after a Michigan-based fraternal organization announced plans to demonstrate in Dearborn on Friday, April 22. That group (OOTD) has since cancelled its plans, but “other demonstrations are rumored to be in the works.”
“We are inviting clergy and lay people from the metropolitan Detroit region to stand together in the spirit of cooperation and harmony, the essential basis of this great country,” according to Robert Bruttell, chair of the Interfaith Leadership Council.
“We are calling on people to reject fear and intolerance, and to embrace the idea of doing to others as we would have them do to us.”
The April 21 program will include prayers and short statements from religious leaders representing a wide range of faith traditions throughout the metropolitan region, and a silent procession outside the mosque.
Earlier this month, the Interfaith Leadership Council launched a petition, “A Simple Affirmation for Our Community” which received more than 900 signatures online in its first week, and hundreds more on paper copies being circulated among religious congregations and civic groups throughout the region.
More signatures will be collected during the April 21 ceremony. Those who want to sign the petition online can find it here.
The text of the petition reads:
“We, as caring neighbors in southeastern Michigan, stand together in condemning the actions of those who spew hate and fear, and who misuse and desecrate holy books of faith. Instead we call on people to carry out the best traditions of all religious faiths, embodied in the idea of doing to others as we would have them do to us.”
“In the spirit of cooperation and harmony, the essential basis of this great country, we affirm our support for religious freedom and civil discourse. We stand together strong in our vision of the beloved community where all are respected and treasured.”
More about the InterFaith Leadership Council
“The InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit is made up of independent, visionary clerical and lay leaders of many faiths whose shared values and desire to build a just community where we live in harmony with one another compels us to be dedicated to the support of interfaith community organizing.”
“We fully respect our religious differences while building a unified, but not uniform community, where we work together on our shared interests and values.”
“In short, we bring people of faith together so that we can live together.We have much to do, and are looking forward to working with you to build the beloved community.”
Surely your intentions are honorable and Christian deserving consideration, of course hopefully remembering the recent brutal honor killings, the bible and church burnings and killings in the name of Allah. When you condemn, should you not include all matters that need condemnation?
If not, are you not entitled to the name Christ used, “Hypocrites”