DIC was at Lovers Lane UMC for joint commemoration of the 10th anniversary of 9/11 tragedy. There were two services of remembrance and reconciliation at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. Speakers for this interfaith service of worship include Imam Nihat Yesil, President of the DIC; Imam Hamidullah Qiyam of DIC; Rabbi Heidi Coretz, Director of Hillel of Dallas; and Dr. Stan Copeland, Pastor of Lovers Lane United Methodist Church. A special donation offering was also received to benefit the National Law Enforcement and Firefighters Children’s Foundation. Below is the speech of Imam Nihat Yesil:
On September 11, 2001, American people faced one of the biggest terrorist attacks in the entire human history. Thousands of innocent people died, millions of us were traumatized and shocked by what we had to see and experience. Today, as people from different faiths, we remember those who lost their lives in this tragic event in our prayers, and ask from Almighty God to give us wisdom and courage to turn this world into a peaceful and harmonious dwelling for all of us.
I would like to express my feelings on behalf of my community by quoting from a condemnation message posted at Washington Post a few days following the September 11 attacks. This message was delivered by a well-known Muslim scholar, Mr. Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish preacher, author, educator, currently living in United States of America.
He says:
“I would like to make it very clear that any terrorist activity, no matter by whom it is carried out or for what purpose, is the greatest blow to peace, democracy, and humanity. For this reason, no one—and certainly no Muslim—can approve of any terrorist activity. Terror has no place in a quest to achieve independence or salvation. It takes the lives of innocent people. Even though at first sight such acts seem to harm the target, all terrorist activities eventually do more harm to the terrorists and their supporters. The terrorist activity on September 11, which is a most bloody and condemnable one, is far more than an attack on the United States of America—it is an assault against world peace as well as against universal democratic and humanistic values. Those who perpetrated this atrocity can only be considered as being the most brutal people in the world.
The terrorist attack on September 11 only deserves condemnation and contempt, and it must be condemned by every person in the world. In our daily lives, when we respond to this heinous assault out of our justified anger and pain, please let me express that we must understand why such a terrible event occurred and we should look at how similar tragedies can be avoided in the future. We should remember that terrorists represent an extremely small minority within any society or religion. We should try to understand each other better, for only through mutual understanding and respect can such violence be prevented in the future.
Today, we feel the pain one more time from the bottom of our hearts, and we pray to God Almighty for the victims and we pray that He guide us to the days of peace and love in which we all coexist with our own faiths and worldviews.
