Uniting against hate

By Jim Davis - Florida Catholic

CORAL SPRINGS | Religious and civic leaders in Broward County banded together to send a message — "No hate here" — and Catholics were in the thick of it.

St. Andrew Church hosted a press conference by the Clergy Coalition of Coral Springs and Parkland to announce a project to respond quickly to swastikas, broken windows or confrontations born of religious bigotry. Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, Muslim and other leaders dubbed it the Interfaith Rapid Response to hate.

"Any offense against any house of worship is an offense against all of us," Msgr. Michael Souckar, St. Andrew's pastor and emcee at the April 24 gathering, told his 70 listeners. "We are all brothers."

The Rapid Response project would have participating clergy carry a dedicated cellphone on a rotating monthly basis. The hotline number, 954-809-4454, would be shared among the member organizations.

When someone reports an incident, the phone holder would call to offer the Clergy Coalition's help: perhaps volunteers to erase graffiti, perhaps a collection to repair worse damage. Other measures might include a press release, an ad in a newspaper, or a photo of several religious leaders literally standing together.

The goal is to curb feelings of isolation that acts of hate can spawn, said Pastor Randal Cutter of New Dawn Community Church, one of two spokesmen of the Clergy Coalition.

"When you know someone and care for them, it's difficult to make them into the 'other,'" said Cutter, who has been involved with the Clergy Coalition for more than three decades. "We believe we can make everyone feel like 'us.'"

The anti-hate project has the active support of a dozen congregations. Besides Catholic, Jewish and Muslim, they include churches in several Protestant denominations. Behind them stand the Clergy Coalition's 45 organizations, which also include Baha'i, Mormon and independent congregations.

The project was the idea of the other coalition spokesman, Rabbi Bradd Boxman. He helped with similar anti-hate initiatives as vice president of an interfaith group in in Danbury, Conn., before coming to South Florida.

Preventing another Holocaust

Boxman, spiritual leader of Congregation Kol Tikvah of Parkland, noted that the April 24 press conference fell on Holocaust Remembrance Day. "A coincidence of the Divine Hand," he called it.

"The Holocaust happened not just because of people who hate, but because people were indifferent," Boxman said. "It's (an appropriate day) to remember to stop acts of hate before they begin."

Besides religious leaders, the meeting drew municipal and law enforcement leaders.

Congressman Ted Deutch, whose district straddles Broward and Palm Beach counties, praised the effort to be proactive, calling bigotry an "empty lie that can easily be spread. The most dangerous thing we can do is to stay silent. We can't afford to let one another be afraid. We can foster dialogue that will replace hate with love."

Broward Commissioner Michael Udine picked up on the Holocaust theme, noting that Broward's population of 1.9 million is about a third of the estimated six million who were killed in Hitler's mass murder scheme.

"And it started with intolerance," added Udine, also a former mayor of Parkland. "We can fight intolerance with goodness."

He also mentioned a graffiti incident last October against Chabad of Parkland, an Orthodox synagogue — on Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. Volunteers showed up and quickly cleaned off the defacement, he said.

Mayor Christine Hunschofsky of Parkland said it was "important to speak out in the community and leave less room for hatred and intolerance."

Coral Springs Commissioner Lou Cimiglia read a statement from Mayor Skip Campbell, who was unable to attend. The 587-word statement boasted of the city's close relationship with the Clergy Coalition ever since the late 1970s, and endorsed the new anti-hate initiative.

"We come from different backgrounds and faiths, but our unity is strengthened when we respect human rights and personal choices," Campbell's statement said. "Diversity is truly our priority and our strength."

Respecting differences

Colonel Tom Herrington, representing Sheriff Scott Israel, said that a community is rich when it "celebrates diversity and different perspectives as a path to harmony … We are all neighbors of one another, and none of us is going anywhere."

Support for the Rapid Response idea came from outside Coral Springs and Parkland as well. Invited guests included Imam Hafiz Furkhan Hakeem of the Islamic Foundation of South Florida, based in Sunrise.

"When we take time to know each other, all lies and negativity, God willing, go away," Hakeem said.

The idea also got approval from Imam Izhar Khan of Margate, one of the speakers April 24. He emphasized the need to respect differences.

"We don’t have to agree on everything theologically," said Khan, spiritual leader at Masjid Jamaat Al-Mumineen, in an interview after the conference. "We can talk about those things in private and work together in public."

In his talk, he cited Surah 2:62 in the Quran: "Surely those who believed in Allah, and those who are Jews, and Christians, and Sabians — whosoever believes in Allah and in the Last Day, and does good deeds — all such people will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no reason for them to fear, nor shall they grieve."

His was one of three scripture verses highlighted at the press conference. Pastor Cutter quoted Psalm 82:4, which asks God to "Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."

For Rabbi Boxman, the verse was Micah 6:8, which he rendered as: "It has been told to you, O fellow human being, what the Lord requires of you: Only this, to do justly, to stand up for that which is right and good and just, to love mercy, to love one another as I love you, and to walk ever so humbly with your God."

The meeting ended with music: students of St. Andrew School led the audience in singing "Let There Be Peace on Earth."

Why were Catholics so heavily involved in an effort in one part of one county of the archdiocese? Msgr. Souckar had a ready answer.

"We may look different and pray differently; but underneath, we have a common faith," he said. "This is what our faith requires of us. Peace overcomes hatred. Love overcomes violence."

He added that the local organizers hoped it would inspire others to emulate their project, just as their effort emulates the one in Connecticut.