Commentaries and Position Statements - InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit

We Will Not Stand Silent in the Face of Threatened “Crusades”

August 27, 2026

The policy of the InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit is to issue statements limited to matters affecting faith communities and interfaith relationships in the Southeast Michigan region.

Last Tuesday, August 18, 2026, a self-professed Christian Crusader returned to Dearborn for a fifth time with a group of Christian nationalists to stoke hatred toward Muslims (he even promised a “pig roast” which did not happen).

Because one purpose in such hateful activities is to provide publicity for the provocateur in anticipation of future hate-fests, neither he, nor his apparent partner in hate, a pastor from a local church, will be identified by name. We at the IFLC will, however, acknowledge the obvious irony, namely, that these self-described Christian nationalists so easily ignore the most fundamental of Jesus’s teachings – LOVE THY NEIGHBOR.

Such expressions of hate toward adherents of Islam are unacceptable and must stop. Targeting of Muslims must be confronted directly by all of us, regardless of our religious affiliation. Unchecked, these actions will lead to even more antisocial, destructive and dangerous behavior.

We call for the immediate cessation of all such hateful conduct. We stand in solidarity with our Muslim brothers and sisters and we urge our law enforcement agencies to prosecute actionable behavior under applicable hate crime legislation. We particularly commend the pastors and other non-Muslim religious and community leaders in Dearborn and the greater Metro Detroit region who came immediately to the full-voiced defense and aid of their Muslim neighbors.

Hate only begets hate, but love begets love. Thanks to all of you, true interfaith partners, who, by your actions, instruct all of us in the importance of community.

The InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit for over 20 years has worked with communities to bridge differences and promote belonging among established and newly arrived religious and ethnic groups. Freedom of religious expression is not only a principle of democracy but an essential component of a healthy, prosperous community.

A Statement from the InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit

Standing in Solidarity Across Faith Communities

May 21, 2026

On behalf of the Board of the InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit, I want to express our shared sorrow and grief over the loss of life and the violation of the sanctity of the Islamic Center of San Diego. This act of hate is a painful reminder of this unsettling time in America, when increasing numbers of people feel insecure in their sacred places of worship.

As people of many faith traditions, we reject this expression of hatred and violence. We remain committed to the principles of mutual respect, freedom of worship, and the peaceful resolution of differences, values for which the InterFaith Leadership Council has long stood and advocated.

The attack on the Islamic Center of San Diego is an assault on the freedom of all Americans to practice their faith in peace and without fear. This attack did not happen here, but we know that the repercussions from it land here. Many from our local community have friends, family and dear colleagues who have been directly affected.

We extend our concern and compassion to the entire Muslim community in Metropolitan Detroit, and elsewhere, who we know share in this grief and sense of vulnerability. In moments such as these, people of all faiths, and all who believe in the dignity and humanity of others, must come together in solidarity and spirit. We know that restoring a sense of safety and peace within your congregations and community will not be easy. Our prayers are with you, and we hope that, in time, healing may give way to resilience, renewed strength, and peace.

Deeds of mass violence are intended to provoke and restoke divisions. The rising profile of hate and violence against faith communities will be strengthened, unless by our voices and actions we reject it, and commit ourselves to peace despite our differences. This will require courage – to listen, to share, to learn and to collaborate.

To all people of faith in our community, we affirm that our calling is to work together to ensure that every person feels safe, welcomed, understood, and heard. We believe that this feeling, the sense that one truly belongs, is a sacred gift that we must extend to one another if any of us are to fully experience it ourselves.

Greg Geiger, President

InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit

Standing in Solidarity with the Congregation of Temple Israel

March 13, 2026

The InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit is shocked and saddened
by the assault on Temple Israel yesterday. Our hearts are with our friends in the
Jewish community and all who hold this sacred place dear.

We pray for the safety, healing, and comfort of the Temple Israel community and for
all those feeling shaken and afraid.

Acts of targeted violence and hatred are meant to intimidate and divide. Our
response to them must be the opposite, one of courage, solidarity, resilience and a
commitment to one another’s dignity, humanity and safety. The InterFaith Leadership
Council firmly stands with the congregation of Temple Israel, and we call on all
members of our community to stand with us.

Together, we will continue the work of creating a world where every person is valued
and can live and gather without fear.

InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit

A Statement of Support and Compassion

September 30, 2025

We are saddened by the horrific violence and loss of life experienced at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at the Stake in Grand Blanc and offer sincere compassion.

The comfort that we offer seems to pale as we witness the pain and devastation felt by the congregation directly impacted by the shooting and fire that caused the lives of loved ones to be taken. The Word of God instructs us to “…do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.”

We also offer sympathy for the loss of President Russell Nelson, the president and leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, compounding the experience of grief. We recall with honor a comment he made in Detroit in 2019, “We don’t have to be alike or look alike to have love for each other.”

The InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit stands ready to offer to support in any way we can.

Sincerely,

Stancy Adams

Chair, InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit

InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit

A Statement of Solidarity, Peace, and Hope

Uniting Together for a Better Tomorrow

September 11, 2025

Today, we come together as a unified community, standing in solidarity with all of you who yearn for peace and understanding. Our shared humanity transcends borders, beliefs, and backgrounds, reminding us that what connects us is far greater than what divides us. Houses of worship are the cornerstones of our communities and are sacred spaces for all of us. Vandalism is an act of hatred and a presence of evil that cannot be tolerated. The InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit is committed to building bridges among all communities. We reject forces that would try to divide us on the basis of our differences in expressions of faith, culture and race. We believe in the power of empathy, kindness, and mutual support. We extend our hands and hearts to not only the Islamic Organization of North America (IONA) but anyone facing adversity and commit ourselves to building bridges where there are walls, seeking dialogue where there is discord, and fostering compassion in the face of hardship. Let us affirm our unwavering hope for a future where peace prevails, where every individual is valued, and where justice and dignity are rights enjoyed by all. May this statement serve as a beacon, inspiring us to act with courage, to uplift one another, and to never lose sight of the possibility of a brighter, more harmonious world. Together, in solidarity and with hope, we move forward — believing that change is possible and that peace is within our grasp.

Greg Geiger, President InterFaith Leadership Council and Rev. Stancy Adams, Chair InterFaith Leadership Council

InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit

A Statement on Gaza

July 29, 2025

The members of the InterFaith Leadership Council (IFLC), comprising people of faith from throughout Metropolitan Detroit, assert that all human beings are equal in the eyes of God and that every human life is sacred. We strenuously object to any systematic deprivation of life-sustaining food, water, shelter or medical help, or the imposition of harm, up to and including death, to innocents anywhere in the world. In accord with these values, we call upon the governments of the United States and Israel to enact an immediate and permanent ceasefire, to allow food, water and medical assistance to reach innocent Gazans, and we call upon Hamas to immediately release all hostages. We echo the sentiment expressed so vividly and succinctly by the New Jewish Narrative: “. . . peace and justice are the birthright of Israelis, of Palestinians, and of all people.”

A statement from the InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit

A Statement on Hate-Filled Violence in America

June 16, 2025

There is no justification for hate-filled violence in America

The members of the Interfaith Leadership Council, comprising people of faith from

throughout Metropolitan Detroit, are horrified by three recent attacks on the Jewish community in America: the firebombing of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s residence, the murder of two Israeli embassy employees in Washington, D.C., and the firebombing of 12 Jewish people in Colorado. These are heinous, murderous acts. This violence is an exhibition of virulent hatred of Jews that is all too present in America today. These are vile acts of antisemitism for which there can be no justification. We unequivocally condemn violence toward our Jewish (or any other) neighbors. There is no basis whatsoever on which rational people can find these acts acceptable. As people representing many faith traditions, we abhor the violence directed at the Jewish people. We express our compassion for the victims, their families and all those who have been affected by these actions. We ask that you join us in our commitment to recognize hateful acts for what they are. Our mission is to bring people of many faiths together to work toward a community based on our highest and best values. Please join us in fostering positive community relationships that will ensure such acts will never occur here.

A statement from the InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit.

A Statement in Opposition to the Burning of Sacred Texts

InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit

July 31, 2024

The InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit (IFLC) is opposed to the burning of any sacred book of scripture and will support those communities to which this expression of opprobrium is directed.

Writings that profess the beliefs of a faith community are sacred. We as a multicultural community of diverse faith traditions respect this written voice. Likewise, we admonish those who burn holy texts – or even suggest that they should be burned – as an expression of profound disrespect, implied violence and, perhaps, even hate.

The values of the Interfaith Leadership Council are rooted in the concepts we call Bridging to Belonging. Every peaceful voice in the community merits a respectful hearing. When we come together in disagreement, we do so to learn from one another, to connect as individuals, and to discover the foundational principles of humanity that will allow us to live together in peace. The earnest search for peace usually will bear good fruit.

Recently, a resident of Oregon came to Dearborn, Michigan, home to one of the nation’s largest populations of Muslims, to burn the sacred book of the Islamic faith. This individual (whom we will not name so that she may be denied the notoriety she seeks) set fire to a Quran on July 13, outside the Al-Huda Islamic Association Mosque, shortly before morning prayers and videotaped the event for the apparent purpose of attracting social media attention. She told a journalist she destroyed the book in opposition to political positions articulated in Dearborn in recent months and claimed that Islamic law, sharia, poses a threat to the country.

Because we are friends and neighbors to the Dearborn community and its leaders, we know that these ideas are untrue, and are a shameful and harmful misrepresentation of the values and behaviors of this community. Further, we are compelled to acknowledge that these statements are dangerous and inflict pain among those we know and value as colleagues. Such statements also carry with them the possibility of inciting acts of discrimination and violence.

A similar shameful performance was attempted by Rev. Terry Jones, a religious agitator from Florida – an act that the IFLC vigorously opposed through a public statement and by literally standing in unity with the leaders of many other faiths around the Islamic Center of America to express our support for the Muslim community in Dearborn.

Burning holy books, regardless of whether currently or at any future time deemed lawful, fails the principles that we uphold, and we vigorously reject its message irrespective of its intent or lawfulness. We adhere to the principle that burning a sacred text is a form of religious discrimination, and a threat to the peaceful community we are committed to co-creating with our friends and neighbors. We will continue to speak out against those who promote misconceptions and bigotry, whether from outside the community or who live among us, and we reject their ideologies which threaten to harm peace-seeking members of our greater Detroit community.

Sacred scriptures in all faith traditions inform a vibrant multicultural community and inspire the expression of values that are shared by all – such as charity, respect and care for one another. Destroying these texts is intentionally destructive to the sacred bonds that hold us together as a community and is a risk to democracy. Acts such as this should be roundly condemned by all people of good will.

December 02, 2023
This Year is Different

Dear Friends of the IFLC,

It is customary in this great country of ours, at this time of year when we gather with family and friends to celebrate our respective holiday traditions, to solicit help for organizations whose values, missions, and work reflect our own.

But this year is different, and so the two of us, a Muslim and a Jew, interfaith colleagues and both proud Board Members of the InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit (IFLC), would like to express gratitude for your past support and to request that when you are making your year-end gift, you donate to the IFLC.

Most years, it would be normal to list the past year’s accomplishments: which include (a) organizing seven Bridging to Belonging cohorts, bringing together small members of diverse backgrounds to engage in respectful dialogue around the values we hold, (b) hosting 380 Metropolitan Detroit seventh graders throughout the school year in our Religious Diversity Journeys initiative, where the students learn about five major religions and build bridges of understanding and community, and (c) producing five episodes of our Detroit Faith and Works podcast series, exploring the role of religion in America, featuring panels of religious leaders and members of the IFLC community. But this year is different.

Most years, we would remind you of the benefits of interfaith work, namely, the enhanced strength of our community when we trust our neighbors, the displacement of hate when we advance relationships with those of different backgrounds and faiths, and how at the IFLC, we instruct program participants in the value of civil discourse and how to achieve it. But this year is different.

Most years, it would suffice to remind you that we share core values. Jews embrace the teaching of tikkun olam, “repairing the world.” Muslims teach that God made us different so that we might learn from one another. Christians strive to protect vulnerable communities, and Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs and virtually all of our great religious traditions practice harmonious living. But this year is different.

Conflict in Israel and Gaza has reverberated in the most unfortunate ways throughout the world and in this country, as groups espousing differing and often conflicting narratives are personally impacted by the tragedies we have witnessed in the past two months. Around the world and in this country, Islamophobic acts directed at Muslims have spiked sharply, while antisemitism has risen to unprecedented levels. Contrary to basic instincts to silo with those “on our own team,” at the IFLC, our interfaith experience informs us that it is more important than ever that we reach out to the other to express support for common decency and humanity.

Speaking personally, as a Muslim and as a Jew, our communications with one another are challenging because each of us possesses strong views that in some instances conflict. But what may be equally important is where we agree. We agree that living in this country, we have little, if any, power over our co-religionists overseas. We both abhor the loss of innocent life and the pain inflicted on innocents, and we both advocate for the dignity of all people in that region. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the interfaith work we pursue and our relationships forged in easier times enable us, in times such as these, to reach out to the other, to express our sincere empathy for the other’s pain, and to give one another his necessary space, with the knowledge that there will be a tomorrow where we will continue together on the path of interfaith understanding. Just as Abraham opened his tent to the stranger, we will continue to welcome one another into our lives.

To be sure, these are most troubling times, but while many organizations are unable or unwilling to discern a path to addressing these challenges, at the IFLC, we will continue to meet these challenges head-on, and work to strengthen our wonderfully diverse Greater Metropolitan Detroit community. Please consider giving generously to support the IFLC, so that we might continue this impactful and important work. May the Holiday Season bring you blessings and peace.

Dr. Walid Harb
IFLC Board Member

Bryant M. Frank
IFLC Board Member

Please give as generously as you are able by:

Check, payable to InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit
P.O. Box 252271, West Bloomfield, Michigan 48325

PayPal, by visiting Donate to IFLC (paypal.com)

Our website, by visiting InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit

November 14, 2023
The InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit’s Prayer for Peace, 2023

Words are unable to describe the pain we feel and witness in the lives of dear friends as this conflict rages. Our hearts yearn for peace, compassion and healing for our community and the world. Please join your heartfelt prayers with ours.

O God, Spirit that Guides Us,
Harden Not Our Hearts…

Shanti, Salaam, Shalom, our faiths center on peace, goodwill and care for all.
But our souls are deeply troubled.
We have seen and heard things that cannot be unseen nor unheard.
We are fearful. We are angry. We are in pain. The spirit of our communities is in trauma.
We are at odds with some of our brothers and sisters.
We need compassion and a comforting word.
We despair of finding the peace of which our traditions speak.
We cry out through our tears for understanding, for God’s healing grace.
We know all our scriptures call for peace.
We know that with your guidance we can again create common ground and bridges to one another.
O God, we pray that our communities will hear your voice, care for one another and seek peace.
Amen

January 12, 2023
Statement from the Religious Leaders Forum of Metropolitan Detroit
The Religious Leaders Forum of Metropolitan Detroit Condemns Antisemitism

The Religious Leaders Forum of Metropolitan Detroit expresses its solidarity with the Metropolitan Detroit Jewish community and condemns, in the strongest terms possible, all manner of hateful and violent words and acts against our Jewish brothers and sisters and their houses of worship. The recent spate of antisemitic incidents across our country and in our community is vile and entirely antithetical to our respective faiths’ teachings. We hereby affirm that attacks, hatred, and discrimination against any person on the basis of his or her religious identity have no place in our country or community. In years past, the Religious Leaders Forum has condemned instances of Islamophobic and racist bigotry in our community. Recent attacks on Jews require us again to speak out forcefully. Any attack on one of us shall be deemed an attack on each of us. We will continue to promote tolerance and respect for one another. Nothing short of this is acceptable.

The Religious Leaders Forum of Metropolitan Detroit believes that the significant moral and social values espoused by their respective religious groups are important considerations for the entire community. Its leaders share an unshakeable belief that God is bountifully at work in our community. Its members join together to foster mutual respect for one another and work together to utilize their collective influence for the betterment of the metropolitan Detroit civic community.

Religious Leaders Forum of Metropolitan Detroit

Reverend Stancy Adams, Chair, InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit
Bishop David Bard, Michigan Conference of the United Methodist Church
Hajji Najah Bazzy, Muslim Religious Leader
Reverend James Curenton, Mayflower Congregational Church
Elder David DeVries, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Rabbi Asher Lopatin, Executive Director, Jewish Community Relations Council/AJC
Imam Steve Mustapha Elturk, President, Islamic Organization of North America
Rabbi Robert Gamer, President, Michigan Board of Rabbis
Father Aren Jebejian, St. John’s Armenian Orthodox Church
President David Johnson, Westland Stake, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Monsignor John Kasza, Interfaith Officer, Archdiocese of Detroit
Bishop Donald Kreiss, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Southeast Michigan Synod
Rabbi Harold Loss, Temple Israel
The Right Reverend Bonnie Perry, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Michigan
Michael Peterson, President, Bloomfield Hills Stake, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Father George Shalhoub, St. Mary’s Antiochian Orthodox Church
Imam Hassan Sayed Qazwini, Islamic Institute of America
Bishop Edgar Vann, Second Ebenezer Church
Bishop Corletta Vaughn, Holy Ghost Church
The Most Reverend Allen H. Vigneron, Archbishop of Detroit

About the Religious Leaders Forum

The Religious Leaders Forum, a group of senior clergy leaders, have gathered together to foster mutual respect and work towards a metropolitan Detroit community that thrives in compassion and peace. They believe that the significant moral and social values of their diverse religions are important considerations for the entire community. The Religious Leaders Forum is convened by the InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit.