CCIU's Response to President Obama's State of the Union Speech

We welcomed President Obama's statement Tuesday night that in responding to extremists' efforts to inspire acts of violence in the U.S. we must act "with the strength of our communities, with respect for the rule of law, and with the conviction that American Muslims are a part of our American family."

At a time when American Muslims are perceived by many as suspect, and are being targeted by some in the political arena, it is important to reiterate that they abhor violence by fundamentalists acting in the name of Islam just as much as we who are members of America's other religions abhor the actions of extremists acting in our names here and around the world.

We must not stereotype. It is wrong, inaccurate and inflammatory. Our heritage and strength as a country lie in coming together in all our diversity and varying religious and political perspectives -- as occurred after the tragic shooting in Tucson -- to condemn the violence of the few who would act to destroy the peace, unity and security we all hold so dear.

Ritu Zazzaro & Anne Alleva, Co-chairs on behalf of the Connecticut Council on Interreligious Understanding (CCIU)

INTERFAITH CALL FOR UNITY - IN RESPONSE TO FORT HOOD ATROCITY
(Written by San Francisco Interfaith Council – adopted by consensus of CCIU Board 11/19/09)

The atrocity that took place on November 5 at Fort Hood, Texas, is a tragedy that has undoubtedly brought sadness, anger and grief to many of our brothers and sisters. We mourn along with the families, friends, military personnel and other loved ones who have been deeply hurt by the loss of so many innocent lives. We offer our prayers and support for the victims of this violent act and their families.

We fully support our Muslim brothers and sisters in our community who fear that these actions will make them vulnerable to discrimination and prejudice as the details of this incident unfold. We acknowledge with appreciation the public statements of many Muslim organizations condemning the atrocity at Fort Hood. This is a time when our faith communities need to come together so that all can be treated with respect without discrimination. Our faith traditions remind us to lovingly reach out to those most in need, and we want to make sure no one is excluded in the much needed embrace of communal prayer at this time.

Please join us in offering our prayers and good thoughts for all those affected by the recent killings in Fort Hood.

Statement of Support for Baha'i Leader's in Iran

The Connecticut Council for Interreligious Understanding, Inc. (CCIU), founded in 1994 with a commitment to mutual understanding and respect for all religious traditions, strongly condemns the Government of Iran for its "sham" trial of seven Baha'i leaders who have been imprisoned since the April of 2008. It appears that the Iranian Government is once again using its courts as an instrument of religious persecution in blatant violation of international human rights law.

CCIU calls on the Iranian Government to cease the long-time, state-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i minority. Some 300,000 Baha'is live throughout Iran, making the Baha'i Faith the country's largest minority religion. The persecution of Baha'is in Iran has been taking place since the religion began there in the mid-nineteenth century, and more than 200 Baha'is have been killed or executed since the Islamic Republic of Iran came to power in 1979. In addition to the seven Baha'i leaders, there are 40 other Baha'is in Iranian prisons solely for their religious beliefs.

CCIU calls for a just, fair, and open trial respecting all international standards and obligations, including allowing independent observation of the judicial proceedings.