United We Stand
Recap
The interfaith community of Sacramento commemorated the annual United We Stand event on December 8, 2022, at SALAM. The event, which was well attended, featured many interfaith leaders.
This year’s theme was “Gun Violence in our Country.”. The event is observed to renew the Interfaith commitment to make Sacramento a safer and better place to live.
Firstly, Interfaith Council of Greater Sacramento (ICGS) President Serene Erby discussed diversity and solidarity with SALAM. Then, the ICGS Treasurer, Deacon Paul Fredericks blessed the event with a prayer. After that, SALAM’s Executive Director, Br Abdul Qawiy Abdul Karim, welcomed the guests and speakers.
Afterward, ICGS’s past president Bishop John Fish shared important stories about establishing and spreading mercy and justice. Then Crosby Brackett, Asst. Special Agent in Charge, FBI, discussed diversity and the need for community involvement in addressing gun violence. Afterward, Adam Green, Sacramento PD Deputy Chief, discussed the need to address fear and hate, which are learned phenomena. The importance of interaction and outreach cannot be overstated.
Furthermore, Dexter McNamara represented the Interfaith Council of Elk Grove and expressed gratitude for the opportunity. Rabbi Mona Alfi of B’nai Israel spoke about the similarities and few differences between religions. Evidently, there is a real need to address mental health in light of the threat posed by white supremacists to Jewish and Muslim faiths. In addition, she stated that indifference leads to violence, which is the opposite of love. Carol Loew, ICGS, spoke about SALAM’s important role in interfaith efforts and thanked SALAM for hosting the event.
Toward the end of the discussion, Crosby Brackett and Adam Green answered questions about gun violence and how to reduce its severity. They spoke about how suspicious reporting activity at the local level will reduce violence.
A special thanks go out to Akram Keval, ICGS, for organizing the event so well.
Asif Haq, SALAM, emceed the event, and SALAM provided a variety of appetizers during the event.
