Source: National Council of Churches

http://www.ncccusa.org/news/03september11joint.html

On September 11, 2003 National Council of Churches released a joint statement by Bob Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches USA and Ghazi Khankan, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations-New York, commemorating the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks: "On this second anniversary of the terror attacks, we must come together in a spirit of national unity and respect for America’s religious and racial diversity. Unfortunately, there are those who seek to divide our nation along political, religious and ethnic lines. They are attacking al-Islaam, Muslim-Americans, Arab-Americans, South Asian-Americans and those who are perceived to be one of them.

We must deny both the terrorists and the bigots their victory, in the way we respond to the threats they pose to our nation, by refusing to submit to a world created in their images. They can succeed only if good people fail to challenge all forms of hatred, injustice and bigotry in the world."