Source: St. Petersburg Times

On September 18, 2001, The St. Petersburg Times reported on the local Muslim community's proactive approach after the terror attacks. "Local Muslim leaders were quick to react against a backlash by expressing public support of the victims and condemnation of the terrorism. They took out full-page newspaper ads, 'A Message from Your Muslim Neighbors,' wrote editorials and showed up in full force to give blood. Sunday night, Muslim leaders invited local Christian churches to a prayer session at the Islamic school in Temple Terrace...

Source: The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47099-2001Sep17.html

On September 18, 2001, The Washington Post published the editorial, "The stars are suddenly too few." The editorial, a joint statement from diverse religious leaders, states: "We commit to celebrate the shared beliefs that bind us -- especially the sanctity of all human life -- while we honor the differences that have called us on separate paths to the same...

Source: The San Jose Mercury News

http://www0.mercurycenter.com/local/center/lhat0918.htm

On September 18, 2001, The San Jose Mercury News featured the article, "Officials decry attacks on Arab Americans; Muslim, Sikh communities seek help to halt violence."

Source: ISNA and NCCCUSA

On September 18, 2001, the National Council of Churches of Christ USA (NCCCUSA) and the Islamic Society of North America reported on the Interfaith statement: "Deny them their victory: A religious response to terrorism." The statement noted, "We assert the vision of community, tolerance, compassion, justice, and the sacredness of human life, which lies at the heart of all our religious traditions. America must be a safe place for all our citizens in all their diversity." Statement, with signatures, on...

Source: The Arizona Republic

http://www.arizonarepublic.com/opinions/articles/0918prothero18.html

On September 18, 2001, The Arizona Republic published Steven Prothero's editorial, "Intolerance deeply rooted in ignorance of religions." It read, in part: "Times like these no doubt call for tolerance. All Americans need to be reminded that we are a nation not only of immigrants but also of religions, that Muslims and Sikhs are as welcome here as are...

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

On September 18, 2001, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on letters from local school children, sent to the President, the rescuers, and to children at Al-Salam Day School, a local Muslim school that had closed due to threats. The article reported, "Riverview Gardens schools Superintendent Chris Wright told school principals that the recent terrorist acts, which have been linked to Islamic extremists, offered students a chance to learn about American values as well as about discrimination against Arab-Americans or Muslims...

Source: The White House

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010917-11.html

On September 17, 2001, the White House Office of the Press Secretary issed a press release with President Bush's remarks at the Islamic Center of Washington, D.C.: "'Islam is Peace' Says President."

Source: American Jewish Committee

http://www.ajc.org/press/default.htm?show.asp?ID=257

On September 17, 2001, the American Jewish Committee's Executive Director, David A. Harris, issued a statement for Rosh Hashana. This statement mourned the loss of life, praised the rescue efforts, and hoped for "a year ahead that brings us closer to the realization that we are one human family created in God’s image."

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On September 17, 2001, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported that, "Atlantans filled their churches, synagogues and mosques to hear their spiritual leaders attempt to fathom the unfathomable. Some warned of God's vengeance against the people responsible for Tuesday's terrorist attacks. Others cautioned against overreacting or fighting violence with violence." The article included messages from sermons given around Atlanta: "At Marietta First United Methodist Church, one of the members, Gov. Roy Barnes,...

Source: The Dallas Morning News

http://www.dallasnews.com/religion/472580_wedgwoodsider_.html

On September 17, 2001, The Dallas Morning News reported that "Forty Denton County clergy from all faiths and races stood on the grounds of the Islamic Society of Denton on Sunday afternoon, shoulder to shoulder, surrounding Imam Ahmed Alarafi, the leader of the society. They gathered to show their support for the Islamic congregation and its mosque, where a Molotov...

Source: The San Francisco Gate

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/09/17/DD216924.DTL

On September 17, 2001, The San Francisco Gate published Jon Carroll's editorial "Support Americans of all faiths." He wrote of the angry mail he had already received, expressing hate for Muslims and Arab Americans, and noted, "It is easy to be tolerant and openhearted in the good times. Our commitment to the ideals of the Constitution is tested in...

Source: The Washington Post

On September 17, 2001, The Washington Post reported that "On the first Sunday after last week's devastating terrorist attacks, preachers told standing room-only crowds that God had no hand in the nation's horrendous loss. Their sermons stressed that punishment -- not revenge -- is appropriate, and many cautioned against making any ethnic or religious group the scapegoat. 'We must remember that evil does not wear a turban, a tunic, a yarmulke or a cross. Evil wears the garment of a human heart, a garment woven from the threads of...

Source: CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/09/16/gen.hate.crimes/index.html

On September 17, 2001, CNN reported that "Reports of hate crimes against Muslims and southeast Asians have risen exponentially across the U.S. in the wake of Tuesday's terror attacks." These attacks included some 300 reported attacks against Muslims; the firebombing of a Hindu temple in Matawan, New Jersey; and over 100 attacks against Sikhs, including an Arizona murder that may have been a hate...