Portland religious leaders show solidarity, denounce violence
Leaders of various faiths and members of the Muslim community sought to dispel misrepresentations of Islam and denounced violence during a Sunday rally at Pioneer Courthouse Square.
A crowd gathered in a corner of the square, where three weeks ago people watched the annual Portland tree-lighting ceremony, the target of a foiled bomb plot the day after Thanksgiving.
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Ariel Stone, rabbi at Shir Tikvah in Northeast Portland, noted the common cause of all religions. “How often do Muslims and Jews get together to denounce violence? I’m really happy to see people stand up for what they say they believe.”
Marion Dawan, a board member of Islamic Social Services at OSU, said she came because she wanted to get a sense of the community’s response: “We wanted to show our deep concern for the people as we try to heal. It’s just unfolding.”
Siala and other Corvallis religious leaders say they have embraced one another’s faiths to show their unity and to honor their diverse community. John Dennis, for example, senior pastor at Corvallis First Presbyterian Church, participated in Ramadan this year, Islam’s holiest month. It showed him how different cultures can be unified.
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