To Muslim Kin, From Buddhists in the Wake of Christchurch
Dear Muslim family,
As Buddhists, we bear witness to your suffering and grief, and offer prayers of deep metta to you across the world in the wake of the Christchurch massacre.
Wherever Muslim kin may feel under threat, from New Zealand to Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Tibet, India, Palestine, East Turkestan / XUAR, China, Thailand, Europe, the occupied US, and more, we offer love.
We support your right to live free from fear, and we vow to confront anti-Muslim sentiment that might make you feel anything less than safe, beloved, and holy in this world.
We share our prayers in recognition that white, Christian, or Hindu supremacy, colonization and occupation, or violent nationalism by any dominant group — including Buddhists — are systemic manifestations of the Three Poisons: greed, hatred, and delusion.
We must work to uproot these poisons not just from within ourselves, but also where they sit in structures of oppression in society.
Throughout space and time, people in our families have been on either side of such religiously-justified, angry nationalist violence — attacked for our faith, attacking others, or both.
Taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and joining movements for justice, may we continue to learn how to skillfully turn toward peace.
This is our hope, and our deep commitment.
With sadness, solidarity, and love in this time of grief,
Thenmozhi Soundararajan, Equality Labs
Dedunu Suraweera, Sri Lankan Buddhist Community on Staten Island
Dorjee Tseten, Students for a Free Tibet
Sonamtso, Students for a Free Tibet
Myokei Caine-Barrett Shonin, Nichiren Shu Order of North America
Ouyporn Khuankaew, International Women's Partnership for Peace and Justice
Ravi Mishra, Awaken Meditation App
Katie Loncke, Buddhist Peace Fellowship
Mushim Ikeda, East Bay Meditation Center
Khin Mai Aung, Burmese Buddhist activist, Free Rohingya Coalition
Notes:
Our signatures and affiliations do not necessarily represent organizational endorsement. We speak for ourselves, in a diversity of Buddhist lineages and social movement organizations to which we belong.
We the undersigned are Buddhists who are not also Muslim; however, we want to honor and recognize those who do carry both traditions.
Update 3/23: The original letter mentioned Turkistan as one of the places where Muslim kin (particularly Uyghur people) may feel under threat. With gratitude to Shenaaz Janmohamed in comments and others who have emailed, we have revised the language to "East Turkestan / XUAR" and "China" to more clearly lift up Uyghur Muslim fam who are being persecuted in the Chinese-occupied region. Thank y'all for your love, solidarity, and political clarity — may it guide not only our words but our action.