This was a week of anger, grieving, fear, and worldwide condemnation of the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris and elsewhere, with many responses from religious groups.
All week long, people of faith have been offering special prayers for peace, healing, and an end to terrorism. ISIS claimed the attacks fulfilled directives in the Quran. But numerous Muslim leaders across the globe strongly denounced the violence, calling it “despicable” and a perversion of Islam. Pope Francis said using the name of God to justify such violence is “blasphemy.” Here in the US, religious groups were heavily involved in the political debate over whether the US should stop admitting Syrian and Iraqi refugees because of security concerns. Some politicians proposed that America either stop taking in Syrians altogether, or just admit Christian refugees. During a visit to Turkey, President Obama vigorously opposed such calls:
President Obama: That’s shameful. That’s not American. That’s not who we are. We don’t have religious tests to our compassion.
Dr. Ben Carson: Well, of course, you know, we don’t apply religious tests, but we do apply, we should apply ideological tests, and I would be very reticent to bring in people who are ideologically opposed to the ideal of America.
A wide range of faith groups urged political leaders not to impose any new limits on refugees. A statement from the National Association of Evangelicals said, “Let’s not punish the victims of ISIS for the sins of ISIS.” Since 2011, the US has helped resettle about 2,000 of the millions who have fled the conflict in Syria. The US Catholic Bishops said the church believes it has a moral obligation to help people who are suffering and persecuted:
Archbishop Joseph Kurtz (President, US Conference of Catholic Bishops): Our efforts, though, are going to be to reach out to people and to serve them. My hope would be, though, that the church would continue to be able, within the law, to accept and help families as we’ve done in the past.
Meanwhile, Islamic minorities in many countries report suffering a backlash since the Paris attacks. Muslims in France and Britain say they are facing increasing hostility. American Muslims say they, too, have seen a sharp rise in threats and vandalism at mosques and Islamic centers. There have been calls for increased scrutiny and suggestions that some mosques be closed. Many interfaith leaders are expressing solidarity with US Muslims and urging that all Muslims not be held responsible for the actions of a few.
