New York State Interfaith Council

The New York State Interfaith Council condemns in the strongest and clearest terms the horrific and incomprehensible attack on members of the Jewish community in Australia. The deliberate targeting of innocent people gathered peacefully in public because of their faith is an act of hatred that violates every moral, religious, and ethical principle we hold sacred.

We grieve with the families of those who were killed, stand in solidarity with those who were injured and traumatized, and affirm our unwavering support for the global Jewish community at this painful moment. Antisemitism—like all forms of religious hatred—is a corrosive force that threatens not only those directly targeted, but the moral fabric of society itself.

As an interfaith body representing diverse religious traditions across New York State, we affirm that violence carried out in the name of religion is a profound distortion of faith. The hijacking of religious language or identity to advance extremist ideologies is an abuse that must be unequivocally rejected. No authentic expression of faith justifies terror, murder, or the dehumanization of others.

We also recognize that such acts of violence reverberate far beyond national borders. They deepen fear and vulnerability within faith communities everywhere, including here at home. In this moment, we recommit ourselves to vigilance, mutual care, and public witness against hate—whether antisemitic, anti-Muslim, anti-Christian, or directed at any faith or people.

The New York State Interfaith Council calls upon leaders, institutions, and citizens to reject rhetoric that inflames division, to resist the normalization of hatred, and to strengthen the bonds of understanding and cooperation across religious and cultural lines. Our response to violence must not be retreat or suspicion, but solidarity rooted in shared humanity.

We stand together in mourning. We stand together in resolve. And we stand together in the conviction that hatred and violence will not define our future.

Rev. A. R. Bernard
Chairman
New York State Interfaith Council