The World Council of Churches has condemned an attack on a US synagogue on the weekend which left at least one person dead and three injured.
A 19-year-old man, identified as John Earnest, of San Diego, was in custody following the shooting at the Congregation Chabad in Poway, California – about 37 kilometres north of San Diego, on Saturday. The matter is being treated as a possible hate crime.
San Diego Police secure the scene of a shooting incident at the Congregation Chabad synagogue in Poway, north of San Diego, California, US, on 27th April. PICTURE: REUTERS/John Gastaldo
Rev Dr Olav Fyske Tveit, general secretary of the WCC, said violence against people at a place of worship was appalling, whatever the motive.
“We stand in solidarity with those who were worshipping in Congregation Chabad on the last day of Passover,” he said in a statement.
Reflecting on the pattern of attacks on places of worship – such as in Sri Lanka and Christchurch – in recent weeks, he added: “These murderous assaults on people as they gather for prayer hurt us all. In response, we must not allow our communities to be driven apart but must redouble our efforts to live together in peace and respect.”
The attack unfolded six months to the day after 11 worshippers were killed and six others wounded by a gunman who stormed the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh yelling, “All Jews must die”.
The assailant in that massacre, said to be the deadliest attack ever against Jews on US soil, was arrested.
– with Reuters
