More than 24,000 people, including 7,000 clergy members, signed a letter in support of American Muslim communities. The letter, which was organized by the Presbyterian Church-affiliated Auburn Seminary, New York City, was hand-delivered to leaders at the Muslim Community Network in New York City on Christmas Eve, which also happened to be the prophet Muhammad’s birthday. The letter promises to build a “circle of protection” to defend American Muslims from hate and violence. It will also be distributed to Muslim communities in Los Angeles, Denver, Atlanta, Detroit, Orlando and San Francisco.
A church that sounds like home
When families crossed a bridge and paid tolls every Sunday to worship in Arabic, Charbel Zgheib noticed. As pastor of Salam Arabic Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., Zgheib met families who…