The following is a letter to the editor sent to the UVU Review.
Dear UVU,
On October 27th, 11 people were murdered at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburg, Pa., while celebrating weekly Shabbat. This was the deadliest anti-semitic attack ever committed against Jewish people in American history. In the wake of this heinous act of terrorism, the UVU Interfaith Student Council extends our deepest condolences and love to the victims and their loved ones and we stand in solidarity with all those affected.
Today, in a world so pervasive with violence and hate, interfaith work is more important than ever. Interfaith work brings together people who orient around faith differently, to engage and highlight similarities instead of differences. Interfaith work strives to build bridges between different faith perspectives, instead of barriers or bludgeons (see Eboo Patel, Interfaith Leadership; A Primer, pgs. 62-66).
As the world becomes more diverse, our daily lives will certainly lead us to encounter others with vastly different world views. How can we interact with mutual respect? More importantly, how can we cooperate with, appreciate, or care for one another?
Interfaith work is valuable in this ever-growing diverse world because it shows us how not only to tolerate our neighbors, but to better understand them. Better understanding leads to a better reception of diverse and distinct religious traditions. By pursuing interfaith work, we can decrease levels of hatred and violence while increasing harmony in our daily lives alongside one another.
The Interfaith Student Council facilitates bridge building interfaith events and activities at UVU. We hope that you will join us in the future and combat the culture of hate that fuels religious violence with forbearance and understanding. We would also like to remind the readers of the UVU Review that there are resources on campus if you would like someone to talk to about these recent events, such as the Ombuds (room SL 212b or (801) 863-7237).
Thank you for your time while reading our message.
With love and solidarity,
UVU Interfaith Student Council
Photo courtesy of: Jorge Láscar
