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Imam Shamsi Ali
“Nationwide Interfaith Letter: A Call for Truth-Telling, Confession, and Repentance on 9/11 and Beyond”
As we listen today to the names of those who died on 9/11 being solemnly read, we are grateful for this remembrance, one in which no one is excluded. Across the country, communities large and small will gather to honor the more than 3,000 lives lost, not only in the towers of New York City, but also in Washington, D.C., and in the fields of Shanksville. We mourn with the families and friends of those who were killed.
Today is also the eve of Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the High Holy Days in the Jewish calendar. It teaches us to begin again. It is “Yom HaZikaron” a day of remembrance, and “Yom HaDin” a day of judgment. The shofar is blown not to entertain, but to awaken. “Shana Tova” to our Jewish neighbors. May this year grant us the wisdom to see our common humanity with clarity.
We remain concerned, however, that before, during, and after these remembrances, 9/11 may be used as an occasion to further divide us, particularly by targeting the Muslim community. We are distressed by attacks on Muslim politicians and religious communities. We write this letter in the hope that the 25th anniversary of 9/11 will launch a renewed commitment to never again use this day to harm people of different faiths or to divide us as Americans.
9/11 is also a time to mourn the loss of civil liberties and the rise of a surveillance state, and to reflect on how we have been directly and indirectly affected by the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, wars that were, in part, launched and fueled in response to what happened on 9/11.
In the years since, many religious leaders have sought to reach across religious boundaries, especially toward the Muslim community, to listen, to understand, and to build meaningful relationships. Yet these efforts have too often been drowned out by the angry voices of well-financed politicians who exploit our pain and distort our faith traditions for political gain, while undermining freedom of speech and honest communal reflection.
Twenty-five years later, it can feel as though we have learned very little.
Across the country, politicians have once again used 9/11 as an opportunity to intensify attacks on Muslims and Muslim elected officials, calling them "un-American" and continuing to hold them responsible for what happened on September 11. Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City, who openly embraces his Muslim heritage, has become a national target, with his identity distorted into a symbol of an alleged threat to Christianity. In some religious settings, his name has even been invoked to revive calls for a new crusade and for the creation of a "Christian nation." Other religious traditions, including Hinduism and Judaism, have likewise been distorted and weaponized to advance an anti-Muslim agenda.
There is tremendous pressure on religious leaders to lean into this prejudice, to remain silent, or to offer empty platitudes at commemorative ceremonies.
We are weary of these attacks.
We believe this moment calls for courage. We need to seek truth and healing in our public discourse, accompanied by confession and repentance for our own complicity. We invite Americans to use this anniversary to commit to countering religious nationalism and to pursuing a more substantive, humble, and sustained interfaith engagement in our rural, urban, and suburban communities.
We must lead the national conversation rather than be consumed by it.
To that end, we have composed and launched this national sign-on letter to protest the abuse and weaponization of Islam to attack Mayor Mamdani and other Muslim elected officials across the country.
We hope this letter will help open the door nationwide to deeper interfaith understanding and cooperation — grounded in truth-telling, confession, repentance, and a shared commitment to the common good.
*Signatories:*
Imam Shamsi Ali, Director, Jamaica Muslim Center, New York City
The Rev. Dr. Chloe Breyer, Executive Director, Interfaith Center of New York
The Rev. Neal Christie, Principal and Co-Founder, Faith Beyond Religious Nationalism, Washington, D.C.
The Rev. Peter Cook, Principal and Co-Founder, Faith Beyond Religious Nationalism, Albany, New York
Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, Senior Rabbi Emerita, CBST and Director, Beacon for Democracy, New York City
The Rev. Adriene Thorne, Senior Minister, The Riverside Church, New York City
The Very Rev. Winnie Varghese, Dean, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York City
Ms. Sunita Viswanath, Co-Founder, Hindus for Human Rights, New York City
For more information, please contact:
The Rev. Peter Cook – 508-380-8289 / PcookFIPS@gmail.com
The Rev. Neal Christie – 202-285-4544 / nealchristieumc@gmail.com
Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum – 917-370-0228 / rsk@rabbikleinbaum.com
Imam Shamsi Ali – (917) 415-2553 / Imamshamsiali@gmail.com
The Rev. Dr. Chloe Breyer – cbreyer@interfaithcenter.org
The Rev. Adriene Thorne – athorne@trcnyc.org
The Very Rev. Winnie Varghese – wvarghese@stjohndivine.org
Ms. Sunita Viswanath – sunita@hindusforhumanrights.org
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