San Diego Muslims express grief, condemnation over El Paso and Dayton attacks

Muslim Leadership Council calls for a federal task force to root out white supremacist groups, and urges people of conscience to push for sensible gun control laws

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 5, 2019

The Muslim Leadership Council of San Diego (www.mlcsd.org), an umbrella organization representing over 20 Muslim organizations based in San Diego today expressed profound grief and horror over the back to back mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio in which at least 29 people have lost their lives and dozens more injured. The attacks represent acts of domestic terrorism, with at least one of the two shootings linked to the white supremacist ideology. The motive for the second shooting in Dayton, OH is still to be determined.

MLC leaders have noted with dismay that the shooting in El Paso follows looser gun laws in Texas, a development that was unsurprisingly celebrated by the NRA. It is also noteworthy that both shootings have happened only one week after the FBI had warned about white supremacist terrorism.

“Our nation is under threat from a vile ideology that clearly has no regard for human life,” said Mr. Tareq Purmul, Chairman of the MLC Board. “The magnitude of hate it represents and the potential for harm it can inflict on ordinary Americans calls for a federal task force to combat white supremacy as the primary terror threat faced by the United States,” added Mr. Purmul.

The Muslim community of San Diego stands in solidarity with the families of the victims, but firmly believes this is a time for unified action. MLC leaders have pledged to work with friends and allies who share the belief that human life is sacred and that everyone is equal before the law. The Muslim Leadership Council of San Diego is a coalition of the Muslim non-profit institutions and organizations in San Diego County striving to serve and benefit our community.

The constituent organizations of the Muslim Leadership Council of San Diego are as follows: Islamic Center of San Diego, Muslim American Society San Diego chapter, Council on American-Islamic Relations-San Diego chapter, Somali Family Services, Masjid Taqwa, Muslim Community Center of San Diego, Islamic Center of Eastlake, Islamic Community Center, Muslim Community Services of San Diego, We Love Our Neighbors, IQRAA Academy of San Diego, Masjid As Salaam, North County Islamic Foundation, Pillars of The Community San Diego, Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans, ICNA Relief, Latina Muslim Foundation, Huda Community Center, United Women of East Africa.

References:

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2019-08-04/nra-celebrated-looser-texas-gun-laws-before-el-paso-shooting

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/08/el-paso-dayton-mass-shooting

CONTACT:Muslim Leadership Council of San Diego

Phone: 858-247-2396

Email: info@mlcsd.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mlcsd/