Syrian Refugees: Discriminating by religion is unacceptable

By Citizens for Public Justice

Faith groups, including CPJ, responded today to reports that the Canadian federal government looking to prioritize the resettlement Syrian refugees from the country’s religious minorities. In their statement today on Syrian refugees, faith leaders supported the Canadian Council of Refugees in affirming and insisting that discriminating by religion is unacceptable.

Inter-faith Statement on Syrian Refugees

As representatives of organizations of different faith traditions we join together to call on the Canadian government to resettle Syrian refugees without discrimination based on religion.

All of our religions teach the fundamental worth of every human being. A person should never be excluded from refugee protection or resettlement on the basis of his or her religion.

In responding to situations of conflict where people are divided by religious affiliation and persecuted for their religion, it is all the more important that Canada assert that our humanity unites us all and that discrimination based on religion is unacceptable.

Refugees must be selected for resettlement based on need.

Signed by:

Sister Mary Jane Leonard, CND, Chair, Becoming Neighbours, a Joint Apostolic Ministry

Lt. Colonel Jim Champ, President, The Canadian Council of Churches

Dr. Iqbal Masood Nadvi, Canadian Council of Imams

Rev. Darren Roorda, Canadian Ministries Director, Christian Reformed Church of North America

Père Michel Proulx, Prieur des Chanoines Réguliers de Prémontré du Québec

Mike Hogeterp, Director, Christian Reformed Centre for Public Dialogue

Joe Gunn, Citizens for Public Justice

National Bishop Susan Johnson, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

Gisèle Lafontaine, Filles de Saint-Paul

Pandit Roopnauth Sharma, President, Hindu Federation

Soeur Lorette Langlais, Institut Notre-Dame du Bon-Conseil

Peter Bisson, Jesuits in English Canada

Jean-Marc Biron, Jésuites du Canada français et d’Haïti

Bernie M Farber, Jewish Refugee Action Network (JRAN)

Ihsaan Gardee, National Council of Canadian Muslims

The Rev. Dr. Richard W. Fee, The Presbyterian Church in Canada

Rev. John Kapteyn, Executive Secretary, Regional Synod of Canada, Reformed Church in America

Commissioner Susan McMillan, Territorial Commander for The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory

Sister Joan O’Keefe, Sisters of Charity-Halifax

Sister Helen Petrimoulx, The Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary of the Windsor Mission Center of the Ontario/U.S. Province

Sœur Josephine Goggin, Sœurs de la Charité de Saint-Louis

Rollande Lamoureux, Sœurs de Ste-Marie de Namur

Right Rev. Gary Paterson, Moderator, The United Church of Canada

Ida Kaastra-Mutoigo, Director, World Renew

Dr. Amritpal Singh Shergill, President, World Sikh Organization of Canada

Contacts

Brad Wassink: 613-232-0275 x. 225

Bernie M Farber, JRAN, 416-671-3204

Ihsaan Gardee, National Council of Canadian Muslims, 613-254-9704  613-853-4111

En tant que représentants d’organisations de diverses traditions religieuses nous unissons nos voix afin d’appeler au gouvernement canadien de réinstaller les réfugiés syriens sans discrimination fondée sur la religion.

Toutes nos religions enseignent la valeur fondamentale de chaque être humain. Une personne réfugiée ne devrait jamais être exclue de la protection ou de la réinstallation en fonction de sa religion.

Dans sa réponse à des situations de conflit où les personnes sont divisées selon l’appartenance religieuse et persécutées en raison de leur religion, il est d’autant plus important que le Canada affirme que notre humanité nous unit tous et toutes et que la discrimination fondée sur la religion est inacceptable.

Les réfugiés doivent être sélectionnés pour la réinstallation en fonction du besoin.

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