Mesa, AZ.: Service for Murdered Gas Station Owner
On September 15th, Balbir Singh Sodhi, an Indian gas station owner, was murdered in what authorities called a racially motivated shooting spree in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Sodhi, a Sikh, had a long beard and wore a turban and may have been mistaken for an Arab.
The murder outraged the community of Mesa, and 3,000 people of diverse faiths and backgrounds gathered to mourn his death. Sikhs, Jews, Muslims and Christians, among others, offered prayers and sympathy to Sodhi's family. The public outpouring also included more than 10,000 letters and notes of sympathy sent to the victim's family. The community also signed a banner to hang in the door of the Sodhi's gas station.
Washington, DC Area
Interfaith Groups Support Vandalized Muslim Community Center in Herndon, VA
A.D.A.M.S. (All Dulles Area Muslim Society) was a target of vandalism in the days following the September 11th attacks-someone spray-painted anti-Muslim obscenities in the mosque-but the community quickly stepped in to help. Neighboring churches volunteered to pay for the damages, and members of a nearby Jewish congregation gave ADAMS a poster of support.
Community Supports Vandalized Islamic Bookstore in Alexandria, VA
After two bricks were thrown through the window of an Islamic bookstore, 15 bouquets of flowers arrived for store manager Hazim Barakat, along with 50 cards from around the country. A local businessman paid for the window to be repaired, and Christian ministers and a Rabbi stopped by to lend their support.
Candlelight Vigil for Mosque in Falls Church, Virginia
Patricia Morris noticed that the Dar al-Hijrahin mosque in her neighborhood looked closed down. After leafleting her subdivision, 30 people joined her in a candlelight vigil outside the mosque. They were greeted by Muslims attending evening prayers who distributed white roses to the vigil participants
