We are mourning the 49 victims and the 40 injured in a massacre that took place in 2 different mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. We are sending love to our community members who were affected by this tragedy both directly and indirectly.
In an online manifesto released prior to the attack, the terrorist, a white male in his late 20s, praised previous mass shootings and other violence committed in the name of white supremacy.
Let us be clear, this was not a random attack fueled by ignorance. It was a horrific terrorist attack that took place in the midst of anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant policies, such as the Trump administration’s active Muslim Ban. This act was fueled by the structural violence promoted by the rapidly and alarmingly growing sentiment of white supremacy.
In this moment, language and policies developed by the leaders of our society is leading to the increased marginalization of Muslim and immigrant communities. This fear mongering has an undeniable and material impact on people’s daily lives. It validates and influences the heinous belief systems of white supremacists and empowers them to commit these horrendous crimes.
We call on all local, state, and federal legislators to take all necessary measures to protect all those at risk and those that fall victim to the harmful and destructive effects of bigotry and hate speech. We demand for immediate action to be taken to put an end to future hate crimes and massacres.
Our thoughts and prayers are simply not enough. We must continue to demand justice, unite against these hateful attacks against our communities and TAKE ON HATE.
If you or someone you know is struggling in the aftermath of these devastating attacks, we encourage you to visit the “Coping with Community Trauma” toolkit, which can be found here.
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