There can be few things as antithetical to religion, particularly my religion of Islam, as the wanton violence wreaked by the recent attacks in London. It is at times like these that the responsibility falls again on us, those of a truly humane spiritual nature, to speak out against the violence, and to console those who have suffered from it.
It is also at times like these that we again have to appropriate the misuse of religion from the hands of fanatical men whose sole purpose is to rouse the masses and beget further violence. It must be stated for the record that all religions have the same relative value with respect to the high goals we reach as people and the same lack of value of when they fail to call forth the love of God. This alone is the uniform standard of value in the assessment of religion.
As before, today our voices are raised together to proclaim support for our English sisters and brothers who have experienced loss and to recognize the unity of God and to bring human kind together. We now make a prayer for a future that is replete with peace and love for all of our sisters and brothers across the world, and for a future that is far far different from the tumultuous, hateful times that we live in now.
May God Almighty bless the departed souls and shelter them in his compassion and admit them into his acceptance and paradise and let the blessings of their lives continue to be showered upon their families, friends and loved ones.
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf
ASMA - American Society for Muslim Advancement
