wfn.org | ELCA Commission Supports Middle Eastern, Muslim U.S. Detainees

[News News <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

March 22, 2002

ELCA COMMISSION SUPPORTS MIDDLE EASTERN, MUSLIM U.S. DETAINEES
02-058-MR

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The steering committee of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Commission for Multicultural
Ministries adopted a resolution here March 15-16 to express its support
for Arab, Middle Eastern and Muslim people detained in the United
States.
     "There may be up to 8,000 Arab, Middle Eastern and Muslim people
detained in the United States without legal reason and/or due process,"
said Fuad Nijim, Santa Clara, Calif., steering committee member.
     "The value of the resolution is to bring this information to the
attention of our church leaders, particularly staff in the ELCA Division
for Church in Society.  If this is done, our church leaders will have
done [something of] tremendous value in helping Arab and Middle Eastern
people be treated equally among all communities in this country," Nijim
said.
     The steering committee resolved to pray for people of the Middle
East.  It asked staff of the ELCA Division for Church in Society (DCS)
to work with the U.S. government and its agencies to "either release all
detainees or bring them before courts of law."  The commission requested
a written report from the division's executive director on actions taken
by DCS for the next committee meeting this fall.
     The resolution recalled the events of Sept. 11.  "People from the
Middle East and Muslims have suffered following the terrorists acts of
Sept. 11.  Many Arab, Middle Eastern and Muslim people in the United
States and abroad have denounced the terrorist acts of Sept. 11 and have
called for reconciliation and peace among [all] people and cultures of
the world," it said.
     "Many law enforcement agencies in the United States have singled
out and targeted Arab, Middle Eastern and Muslim people for searches,
arrests, profiling and harassment," said the resolution.
     "According to the Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, there have
been more than 270 violent incidents against Arab Americans, including
five murders, since the Sept. 11 tragedy," said the Rev. Frederick E.N.
Rajan, executive director for the commission.
     "Despite calls for tolerance in this nation, the American public
appears to have developed a sudden taste for racial profiling," Rajan
said.
     In other business, the commission:
     + requested that the ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop assist
the commission in establishing a budget to implement and fund the
church's Asian and Pacific Islander Ministry Strategy, the Latino
Ministry Strategy and the American Indian and Alaska Native Ministry
Strategy, as well as future ethnic-specific ministry plans.  The Asian
and Pacific Islander and Latino ministry plans were adopted by the 2001
ELCA Churchwide Assembly.
     + moved to invite a member of the ELCA Division for Outreach board
to attend future steering committee meetings.
     + asked staff of the Division for Outreach to assist the
commission in establishing five to seven new Asian and Pacific Islander
ministry starts in the United States without reducing the number of new
ministry starts of other ethnic-specific ministries.
     + reaffirmed its commitment to assist the church in increasing the
ELCA's membership of people of color or whose primary language is other
than English.
     "The percentage of the total ELCA membership who are people of
color or whose primary language is other than English is 2.57," said
Rajan.
     In 1987 the ELCA adopted a goal that within 10 years of its
establishment the membership of the church would include at least 10
percent people of color and/or primary language other than English. In
1991 the ELCA Churchwide Assembly adopted the Multicultural Mission
Strategy to renew the church's commitment to the 10 percent membership
goal.
     The commission provides advice and assistance to the ELCA's 10,816
congregations and 65 synods of the church across the United States and
Caribbean on ministry among people of color and primary language other
than English.  The church's ethnic ministries are African American and
Black, American Indian and Alaska Native, Arab and Middle Eastern, Asian
and Pacific Islander and Hispanic/Latino.  The commission develops
workshops and resources, print and video, to help the ELCA dismantle
racism.
     The commission holds an annual Multicultural Mission Institute to
help congregations and individuals of various ethnic and cultural
backgrounds "reach out to others and experience a multicultural
community." The next Institute will take place Nov. 1-3 in Atlanta.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html