JWOCmarching Letter of Solidarity with New Zealand
March 15, 2019 — Today, our hearts are broken as we grieve the massacre of our Muslim family while they prayed in the Masjid Al Noor and Linwood Mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. We grieve the inhumanity of killing others while they prayed — the moment when they closed their eyes, turned their backs to the door, tuned out every sound, opened their hearts and trusted. We say to our Muslim siblings in communities across the world: you are not alone — in this moment or ever. We are here to support you, to remember your loved ones, and to show up with you in strength.
On this Muslim holy day of Jummah, we pray for the peace and healing of our Muslim siblings. We understand the vulnerability that comes with praying openly in community and stand with our Muslim family in resisting isolation and fear. As Muslims stood with Jews to protect our right to our holy spaces, we too stand with Muslims, in solidarity. We are here to protect the power of community prayer as a resource for healing and restoration and to resist the power of white supremacy to violate our communities.
We condemn white supremacy and white nationalism in all its forms. No exceptions. No excuses. We decry the global influence of white supremacy and grieve that the attacks against our Muslim siblings in New Zealand grew from the same root of white nationalist hatred that nurtured attacks on the U.S. on Sikhs in the Gurdwara of Wisconsin, Black Christians in the AME Church in South Carolina, and on Jews at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.
As #JWOCmarching, we unequivocally oppose violence and pledge to continue to raise our voices in our institutions, in the streets, on social media, in our synagogues, in our homes and in our hearts to call out hate and demand an end to a global movement that has made violence and death more commonplace for us all.
As we enter this Shabbat Zachor — Sabbath of Remembrance, we recall the attempt of hate to destroy our people and remember the power of unity and solidarity. As Jewish Women of Color, we are remembering and honoring our commitment to standing with all who are targeted by terror attacks, state-sanctioned violence, and apathy at the hands of white nationalists.
We are with you and we know we will win.
In Solidarity,
Jewish Women of Color Marching #JWOCmarching
#JWOCmarching Call to Action:
- Support local Muslim communities: reach out, show up, be in solidarity.
- If you see the live-streamed video of the attack, please immediately report it to the social media platform you are using.
- Donate to the #JWOCmarching fundraiser to directly support the victims -https://www.facebook.com/donate/786210778430484/
- Share this #JWOCmarching letter of solidarity on your social media.
