The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the shooting targeting a mosque inside an Islamic centre in San Diego, United States, which resulted in a number of deaths.
In a statement, the Council reaffirmed its unequivocal rejection of all forms of violence, hatred, extremism and Islamophobia, as well as attacks targeting places of worship and peaceful worshippers. It stressed that such criminal acts are religiously, morally and humanly unacceptable, and constitute a flagrant violation of laws, humanitarian values and the principles of peaceful coexistence, posing a serious threat to the security and stability of societies.
The Muslim Council of Elders called for intensified international efforts to combat hate speech, racism and Islamophobia, and to eradicate the sources of extremism and incitement in all their forms. It further emphasised the importance of promoting mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and human fraternity among followers of different religions and cultures, while expressing solidarity with the victims of the tragic incident and their families.
WAM