WASHINGTON – Following yesterday’s shooting at Umpqua Community College, which several reports suggest may have been motivated by an antagonism toward religion and targeted Christian students, Interfaith Alliance Executive Director Rabbi Jack Moline released the following statement:

“With yesterday’s shooting at Umpqua Community College, yet another community joins our nation’s constellation of violence and grief. Congregations will be filled with mourners this weekend, classrooms will stand empty, and people will be left to wonder how much more of this senseless loss of life we must endure before taking action. My prayers are with the families and loved ones of those lost yesterday, my thoughts are with all those struggling today to seek a nation free of violence. Sadly, these shootings that capture the national attention have become all too common, and yet even the ones that make national news represent only a small fraction of the incomprehensible number of gun related deaths in this country every year.

“I am particularly troubled by reports that the shooter explicitly targeted Christian students and may have been driven by hatred toward religion in general. It is profoundly unsettling that, in the wake of so much violence, neither our schools nor or our religious communities feel safe. We must do more to ensure that no one is the victim of violence for any reason and certainly not because of their religious beliefs. We cannot abide such violent religious animosity in our midst.

“Early reports suggest the perpetrator of this crime was a vocal critic of organized religion. We must be careful not to assign his actions to all who live a secular life or who voice their criticism of religion. There is a proud history of respectful dissent from religious belief in this country, yesterday’s actions are not part of it.

“We must dig deep with in ourselves and our communities to understand why this violence happened, and we must motivate ourselves and our political leaders to create real change in our laws and our culture to prevent these needless deaths.”

Interfaith Alliance is a network of people of diverse faiths and beliefs from across the country working together to build a resilient democracy and fulfill America’s promise of religious freedom and civil rights not just for some, but for all. We mobilize powerful coalitions to challenge Christian nationalism and religious extremism, while fostering a better understanding of the healthy boundaries between religion and government. We advocate at all levels of government for an equitable and just America where the freedoms of belief and religious practice are protected, and where all persons are treated with dignity and have the opportunity to thrive. For more information visit interfaithalliance.org.