Interfaith Alliance Horrified By Planned Attack on Hindu Temple; Condemns Ongoing Incitement Against Diverse Faiths

Interfaith Alliance released the following statement in response to reports about a planned attack on a Hindu temple in Illinois:

“We are horrified by reports that a 19-year-old white supremacist man tried to carry out a mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois, on Sunday, while Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi and his family were inside. It is a tremendous relief that his plot failed, and that all members of the Aurora temple community are safe — but the growing danger of white supremacist incitement against religious and ethnic minorities in our country remains deeply alarming and unacceptable. We have warned against the growing incitement directed at South Asians and the attempts to spread fear and hatred of Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, and other faith traditions in our country. When prominent political figures and pundits traffic in and stoke this hate, they invite and enable threats and acts of violence. We must be clear: Standing up for true religious freedom means protecting the rights of all Americans to live and worship safely and freely in accordance with their religious traditions."