Victorian faith leaders show solidarity for the LGBTI movement
Victorian multicultural faith leaders have come out in support of the LGBTI community.
![Omar Mateen [MySpace}]](https://i0.wp.com/www.jwire.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Orlando-Nightclub-Shooting-Kills-50-Gunman-Had-Praised-ISIS-The-New-York-Times-2016-06-13-21-46-32.png?resize=171%2C160)
Omar Mateen [MySpace}]
The group stated: “There is no excuse for such appalling and evil actions, driven by hate and intolerance.
As faith leaders in the Victorian community, we recognise the sanctity of every human life. Every community member is entitled to live their lives free of fear, bullying, intimidation or violence.
Everyone, of any sexual orientation or gender identity should be treated with respect and dignity. The physical health, safety and mental health of all Victorian community members is of vital importance. To this end, we call for all faith communities and community members to take a strong stand against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia.
Supporting groups included:
Australian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) Vic
B’nai B’rith Antidefamation Commission (ADC)
Prof Gary Bouma, The UNESCO Chair in Interreligious and Intercultural Relations – Asia Pacific and Associate Priest, St John’s Anglican Parish, East Malvern
Brahma Kumaris Australia
Council of Christians and Jews
Dr Hass Dellal AO, Executive Director, Australian Multicultural Foundation
Mohammed Elleissy, Community Worker
Mohamed Elrafihi, Adviser to Minister for Finance & Minister for Multicultural Affairs Robin Scott
Sam Afra, Chair of the Ethnic Communities Council of the South East (ECCOSE) Inc
Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria (ECCV)
Solaimon Fahiz, Chief of Staff to Minister Robin Scott
Sheihk Riad Galil OAM, Senior Imam West Heidelberg Mosque
Benjamin Oh, Chair, GLBTIQ Interfaith & Intercultural Network (GIIN)
Hindu Council of Australia, Victorian Division
Hindu Foundation
Bishop Philip Huggins, Anglican Diocese of Melbourne
iEmpower
InterAction
Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV)
Jewish Care Victoria
Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV)
Kehilat Nitzan
Keshet Australia
Lutheran Church of Australia Victorian District
Muslims for Progressive Values – Australia
Imam Nur Warsame and Marhaba
National Council of Jewish Women of Australia (Vic) (NCJWA)
Dr Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli, Founding Member on behalf of the Australian GLBTIQ Multicultural Council (AGMC)
Progressive Judaism Victoria
The Salvation Army
Sikh Interfaith Council
Rev Helen Summers, The Interfaith Centre of Melbourne
Temple Beth Israel
Sharon Hollis, Moderator, Uniting Church of Australia Synod of Victoria and Tasmania
United Religions Initiative
Anthony Venn-Brown, CEO, Ambassadors and Bridge Builders International (ABBI)
Michael. You are the only fundamentalist, always sniping at any and every faith community. The dehumanisation and degradation you refer to is totally self-inflicted as a result of your constant ranting.
Robert, you always have the nicest of things to say. Thanks for your continued support.
If we are serious about ‘blotting out the names of the evildoers’, perhaps we should not include a photo of the perpetrator in our news reports.
Let us blot out the name of the man who took 49 lives and put another 53 people in hospital.
Let us NOT publish his name or his photo – he denied humanity to others, so we must concentrate on resurrecting the humanity of the victims – let us publish some photos of them instead.
Whilst messages like these are helpful, the elephant in the room of the orthodox rabbinate’s opposition to equal rights for LGBTIQ people remains unaddressed.
We will keep seeing hate crimes like this while there are faith leaders prepared to say that some members of the community are superior to others.
Using the murder of homosexuals to advance the LGBTIQ push to change society is contemptible. Almost no-one in our society advocates harming non-heterosexual people. In our society LGBTIQ people have every right, privilege and protection afforded by law and our society supports that stance. The exceptions are some crazies and that segment of our population that want to impose shari’a on us.
The support for LGBTIQ people is a motherhood statement hiding the obvious: Islam hate and murders LGBTIQ people. Speak out against that, if you have the courage. And get all the multi-faith people condemn seventh century Islam and call for its reformation.
Paul, you seem to be oblivious to the fundamentalist attitudes towards same-sex attracted and gender-diverse people that are pervasive in segments of society here in Australia. They exist within all mainstream faith communities.
Terminology such as “radical agendas” is thrown about, to dehumanise and degrade us. That there is blatant disregard for our families and the welfare of our children is evidence of the willful ignorance of this intolerance.
Combining the fundamentalist intolerance and propaganda with unhinged individuals gives rise to terrorist outcomes such as the Orlando shooting and the Jerusalem Pride March stabbing.
There is clearly a strong correlation between state-sanctioned discrimination and situations that harm vulnerable people.