March 22, 2016
The Orange County Human Relations Commission seeks to build mutual understanding between residents and eliminate prejudice, intolerance and discrimination, per the Board of Supervisors’ chartered purpose.
We Mourn Innocent Victims.
· In the face of the heinous terrorist attacks on innocent people in Belgium our first thoughts and prayers go out to victims lost and suffering from this senseless act of violence.
We Are All Affected by Violence.
· Terrorist attacks in Paris, San Bernardino and now Brussels evoke our deep sadness for the many victims and their loved ones, as well as great concern about continued acts of terror at home and abroad.
We Lead with Responsibility and Reason.
· During times of great strife and terror, voices of rage, hate and scapegoating will rise. It is our responsibility to be thoughtful and reasoned in our reactions, not to add to the list of innocent victims brutalized by hate and terror.
· Some will say that the Islamic faith is responsible, and call for action against all Muslims. This is dangerous rhetoric that ignores the examples set by thousands of Muslims and Islamic institutions. We urge our community to bear these examples in mind as we struggle to make sense of the violence in our world, and to avoid provoking misdirected hate or sweeping measures that victimize innocent people.
We Call Out ALL Peddlers of Fear, Hate and Terror.
· When people respond to hate with hate, when anger is misdirected towards a group of people based on an individual’s religion, race, ethnicity or other aspect of his/her being, the result can be egregious public policy or worse. Misguided hate can divide us based on our differences and contribute to an environment where terrorists thrive.
· We call upon our community to resist the urge to paint an entire group with the brush of its most vile and violent members. These misguided efforts in fact add to the poisonous divisions among those of us who should join together in our shared belief in freedom, peace and democracy.
· Let us not be distracted from the power of truth we share – and in that truth let us forge new friends, not new enemies. In the words of President Abraham Lincoln, “Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?”
Orange County Human Relations Commission:
1. Calls on all people to mourn the innocent victims of these terrorist attacks.
2. Calls on our neighbors to join us as we visit Orange County Mosques to express support at this critical time.
3. Shares the fact that local Muslim organizations are strongly condemning these atrocious attacks, as they have condemned all terrorist attacks.
4. Will reconvene Muslim and interfaith groups in April to collaborate on educational efforts.
Commissioners
Kenneth Inouye, Chair
Becky Esparza, Vice-Chair
Nadia Saad Bettendorf
Bekele Demissie
Chief Mike Hamel
Timothy M. Kowal
Bang Van Pham
Elliott Singer
Sean Thomas
Rabbi Rick Steinberg
C. William Wood
