American Muslim civil-advocacy groups have strongly denounced the killing of worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh PA. In solidarity with the Jewish community two Muslim organizations have raised around $200,000 to help victims and their families of the synagogue shooting.
Robert Bowers, a white supremacist, stormed into the synagogue during Sabbath and fired upon innocent men, women, and children attending religious services, killing 11 and wounding 5. The shooting took place during a bris, a baby-naming ceremony.
There were close to 100 people inside of the synagogue at the time of the attack. Robert Bowers, a 46-year-old resident of Pittsburgh, was arrested at the scene. Bowers yelled "all Jews must die" as he entered the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in Pittsburgh.
U.S. Attorney Scott Brady filed federal hate crimes charges against Bowers on Saturday evening. Those charges include:
Eleven counts each of Obstruction of Exercise of Religious Beliefs Resulting in Death and Use of a Firearm to Commit Murder During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, four counts of Obstruction of Exercise of Religious Beliefs Resulting in Bodily Injury to a Public Safety Officer and three counts of Use and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
An hour before the shooting, Bowers reportedly wrote on a social media site, Gab, "HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people. I can't sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics. I'm going in." HIAS is the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, a group that helps refugees.
Muslim groups raise about $200,000 for Pittsburgh Synagogue shooting victims
Celebrate Mercy and MPower Change have banded together to raise money for their Jewish brothers and sisters at Tree of Life Or L'Simcha Congregation, which was the target of Saturday's attack. They started a campaign on the Muslim-focused crowdfunding site LaunchGood in the hopes of raising $25,000 for the synagogue victims and their families. They are now close to $200,000.
Once their goal has been hit, the groups say, the funds will be immediately transferred to the local Islamic Center of Pittsburgh, so they can be disbursed to the families to pay for medical and funeral expenses.
"We wish to respond to evil with good, as our faith instructs us, and send a powerful message of compassion through action," the groups said in describing the campaign on its crowdfunding page. "The Muslim-American community extends its hands to help the shooting victims, whether it is the injured victims or the Jewish families who have lost loved ones.
"Through this campaign, we hope to send a united message from the Jewish and Muslim communities that there is no place for this type of hate and violence in America. We pray that this restores a sense of security and peace to the Jewish-American community who has undoubtedly been shaken by this event," the groups said.
The American Muslim Voice (AMV) has strongly condemned the tragic massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA, on Saturday Oct. 27.
In a statement, the AMV National President Khalid Saeed said the AMV denounces hate in all its forms, and will continue working with all communities, including the Jewish community, to combat the hate and discrimination that affects us all.
"What happened Saturday is the worst nightmare for any religious community. We stand in solidarity and pray for our Jewish brothers and sisters. We denounce hate in all its forms and condemns the anti-Semitism that motivated this horrific incident."
The Muslim Advocates strongly condemned the killing of worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh PA.
In a statement Farhana Khera, executive director of Muslim Advocates, said:
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