INTERFAITH PARTNERSHIP OF METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS

CABINET CHAIR'S STATEMENT ON THE TERRORIST ATTACKS

On behalf of all people of faith, particularly the faith bodies who covenant to work together in the Interfaith Partnership, we express our greatest disdain at the horrific events of this morning. The cowardly actions of terrorists making casualties of innocent people are heinous to all civilized people. Regardless of how zealous the individuals are or how righteous they believe their cause, terrorism is totally rejected by people of faith and conscience as ever being justifiable.

We ask for prayers for the souls of those who have died, for those wounded and for the families of all the victims in this national travesty. We express our thanks to those brave care-givers in the midst of this tragedy, including firefighters, police officers, doctors, nursing personnel and emergency service people. Many prayer services are being planned for local houses of worship and among peoples of all faiths. We urge you to participate in one of these services.

We also ask for calm among the people of the Metropolitan St. Louis area. We urge that conclusions as to who is responsible be left to those investigating these matters. We ask that innocent, peace loving people who are our neighbors, particularly those of the Islamic faith, not be painted with the brush of prejudice or seen as objects of retribution. This is a time of giving care to the victims and nursing the wounds of the nation and world.