27 May 2017 By megan@osbha.org
We are grieving the brutal stabbing and murder of two courageous bystanders who sought to disrupt a potential assault on a Muslim woman on the TriMet Hollywood MAX station. We extend our heartfelt care and support to the people and their families impacted by this trauma. This senseless tragedy happened on the eve of the Holy Month of Ramadan, a period that draws Muslim communities together with intentions for peace and harmony by centering our purpose and relationship with God.
We wish to extend our gratitude to fellow commuters who spoke out against racist and xenophobic taunts. We expect that those responsible for their deaths are held accountable, and that we will seek community-driven ways to restore safety. News that the perpetrator was a known White Supremacist, and was intimidating People of Color, Immigrants and Refugees on April 29th on 82nd Ave calls us to be vigilant in our resistance.
This horrific violence requires us to reflect deeply on root causes, and is not an excuse to further militarize our communities. We believe in a world where everyone lives without fear of discrimination, exclusion or harm. May more Oregonians take action to interrupt hate and stand for love. In these terrible moments, we are reminded of our fragile humanity and the need to build institutions around the inherent worth and dignity of all people, institutions that function as systems of care.
Here are several concrete ways community members can show support:
- Show up for the Vigil Saturday May 27th 8:30pm and at upcoming public demonstrations planned to resist oppression (more info TBD). There will be a City Press Conference at 3:30pm on E Burnside and 47th ave.
- Attend the Portland Ramadan Tent Project, an interfaith sharing of Iftar – the breaking of the Ramadan fast – this weekend.
- Join, lead or start an organizing group and educate yourself about the legacy of White supremacy and White nationalism in Oregon (A few resources: One Oregon Coalition, Interview with Scot Nakagawa, Why Isn’t Anyone Talking About This Podcast)
- Place a Solidarity Sign in your home or place of business or school
We all have a role in creating the society we live in. As organizations and individuals committed to human rights, we are dedicated to confronting the forces of hate and building movements for social justice. May we find courage and purpose, challenge anti-Muslim Islamophobia, and foster community that ensures each of us have the rights, resources and recognition to thrive.
Sincerely,
Rev. Joseph Santos-Lyons, Executive Director
APANO and APANO Communities United Fund
APANO and APANO Communities United Fund
Co-Signers:
- Diego Hernandez, Oregon State Representative
- Lew Frederick, Oregon State Senator
- Karin Power, Oregon State Representative
- Jessica Vega Pederson, Multnomah County Commissioner
- Andrea Valderrama, David Douglas School Board
- Ann Linninger, Oregon State Representative
- Ana del Rocío, David Douglas School Board Member-Elect
- Chloe Eudaly, City of Portland Commissioner
- Wajdi Said, Muslim Education Trust
- Rania Ayoub, Muslim Education Trust
- Congressman Earl Blumenauer
- Duncan Hwang, APANO and APANO Communities Fund
- Khanh Le, State Director, Main Street Alliance of Oregon
- Mary Nolan, Executive Director, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon
- Rev. Michael Ellick Senior Minister, First Congregational United Church of Christ
- Jan Elfers, Executive Director, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon
- Andrea Paluso, Executive Director, Family Forward Oregon and Family Forward Action
- Kayse Jama, Executive Director, Unite Oregon
- Nancy Haque, Co-Executive Director, Basic Rights Oregon
- Amy Herzfeld-Copple, Co-Executive Director, Basic Rights Oregon
- Grayson Dempsey, Executive Director, NARAL Pro Choice Oregon
- Rev. Lynne Smouse Lopez, Pastor, Ainsworth United Church Of Christ
- Jackie Yerby, Executive Director, Bradley Angle
- Toya Fick, Executive Director, Stand for Children Oregon Chapter
- Nikki Fisher, Executive Director, Bus Project and Co-Director of New Leaders Council Portland Chapter
- Charles McGee, Executive Director, Black Parent Initiative
- Jackie Leung, Chair, Micronesian Islander Community of Oregon
- Andrea Williams, Executive Director, Causa Oregon
- Rev. Barbara Stevens, Universalist Recovery Church
- Alan Hipolito, Executive Director, Verde
- Bobbin Singh, Executive Director , Oregon Justice Resource Center
- Jillian Schoene, Executive Director, Emerge Oregon
- Rev. Kit Ketcham, Pacific Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
- Ashnie Butler, Regional Outreach Director, Family Forward Oregon.
- Rev. Tracy Springberry, West Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
- Maureen Andersen, Event Coordinator, Portland Indivisible
- Samantha Gladu, Co-Director, New Leaders Council Portland Chapter
- Noel Mickelberry, Executive Director, Oregon Walks
- Huy Ong, Executive Director, OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon
- Patricia Rojas, Executive Director, El Programa Hispano Catolico
- Lamar Wise, Oregon Student Association Legislative Director
- Rev. Ron Werner, Jr, Oregon Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
- Sasha Vidales, Director, Creative Goal Solutions
- David Rogers, Executive Director, ACLU of Oregon
- Cindy Casama Gerber, Community Member
- Aimee Santos-Lyons, APANO Member
- Bea Downing, Community Member
- Zeenia Junkeer, Community Member
- Marlie Cardiff, Community Member
- Heather Fercho, Community Member
- Amy Casso, Gender Justice Program Dir, Western States Center
- Rachel Hirsch, Community Member
- Jim Labbe & Rita Sabler, Community Members
- Megan and William Bird, Community Members
- Beatriz Gutierrez, Community Member
- Vivian Satterfield, Community Member
- Natalie Lerner, Community Member
- Ivan Hernandez, Community Member
- Megan Kovacs, Community Member
- Whitney Grubbs, Community Member
- Channbunmorl (Chom) Sou, CEO of JustBarz
- Yian Saechao, APANO Youth Organizer
- Koua Moua, Community Member
- Jamee Greer, Community Member with Western States Center
- Andrew Riley, Community Engagement Coordinator, 1000 Friends of Oregon
- Kathryn Moran, Community Engagement Coordinator, Westminster Presbyterian Church
- Gary Moran, Community Member
- Rachel Post, Community Member
- Marissa Yang Bertucci, Community Member, Portland Public Schools
- Se-ah-dom Edmo, Movement Building Director, Western States Center
- Ashlee Albies, Portland National Lawyers Guild
- Maria Delgado Miembro y Líder de la Comunidad
- Rujuta Gaonkar, Community Member
- Kristin Teigen, Community Member and board member, Oregon NOW
- Katherine McDowell, ACLU of Oregon Board Member and VP of Litigation
- Ben Sand, Community Member
- Kenneth Lerner, Co-President, Havurah Shalom
- Thach Nguyen, APANO Board
- Felicia Williams, President, Portland Downtown Neighborhood Association
- Alma Trinidad, community member, scholar activist
- Lisa Watson, Community Activist
- Dmae Roberts, executive producer, MediaRites
- Sara Gelser, State Senator
- The Rev Jeremy Lucas, Christ Church Episcopal Parish, Board Member, Institute for Christian Muslim Understanding
- Sarah Iannarone, Community Member
- Rev. Judy Welles, Unitarian Universalist Association
- Laurie Huffman, Executive Director, Oregon School-Based Health Alliance
- Annette Mattson, Trustee-elect, Mt Hood Community College
- Katie Rose, Executive Director, Oregon Support Services Association
- Leah Benson, Community Member
- Sophorn Cheang, Director, IRCO Asian Family Center
- Ali King, President, Nasty Women Get Shit Done PDX
- Judith Mowry, City of Portland Office of Equity and Human Rights
- Marcus Swift, Director of Political and Legislative Affairs, American Federation of Teachers-Oregon
- Heather Nicholas, Community Member
- Daisy Quiñonez, Community Member
- Ashley Thirstrup, Community Member and Kay Hutchinson
- Neighbor
- Raahi Reddy, APANO Board
- Dahabolul Khadija Fai, Community Member
- Amy Fellows, Executive Director, We Can Do Better
- Meera Kumar, Community Member
- Charlotte Lumae, Educator, Community Organizer
- gita mehrotra, community member
- Amanda Rhoads, Community Member
- Rev. George William Whitfield, Pastor of First African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church-PDX.
- Renee Ramey, North Plains Grassroots
- Kathleen Jeskey, Oregon BATs
- Patti Duncan, Community Member
- Athen O’Shea, Q Center Board of Directors, Greater Portland Trans Unity
- Kirsten Saladow, Director of Communications, Portland Institute for Contemporary Art
- The Rev. Maureen-Elizabeth Hagen, Episcopal Diocese of Oregon; President, Association for Episcopal Deacons
- Dr. John Talberth, President, Center for Sustainable Economy
- Daphne Wysham, West Linn Alliance for Inclusive Community
- Megan Rutherford, Co-President, Action Together Oregon
- Dr. Amelia Nestler, Director, Action Together Oregon
- Christine Lewis, Community Member
- Christine Chin Ryan and Pat Ryan, Community Members
- Rachel Prusak, Nurse and Community Member
- Cyreena Boston Ashby, Community Member
- Diane L. Grover, Portland Immigration AttorneyKali Thorne Ladd, Community Member
- Stephen Green, community member
- Raquel Bournhonesque, community member
- Lisa Bates, community member
- Sonali Sangeeta Balajee, Consultant and Senior Fellow, Haasstitute, UC Berkeley
- Katie Potter, Retired Portland Police Officer
- Patrik McDade, People-Places-Things Program Director
- Jenny Glass, Executive Director, The Rosewood Initiative
- Martha Perez, General Political Activist
- Jerry Anderson, Disability Rights Advocate
- Cari Luna, Chapter Chair, Portland Democratic Socialists of America
- Val Hoyle, Community Member
- Amanda Lamb, Board President, Montavilla Food Cooperative
- Rachele Avolio community member
- Tera Couchman Wick, concerned citizen
- Katherine McGuiness, Board President, The Network for Reproductive Options
- Traci Rossi, Executive Director, Center for Women’s Leadership
- Jamie Partridge, Portland Jobs with Justice
- Jodi Ballard-Beach, Co-chair, Oregon Women’s Equity Coalition
- Amy Ruiz, community member
- Hanif Fazal, Executive Director of the Center for Equity and Inclusion
- Danielle Trammell, community member
- Steph Routh, Community & Marketing Manager, Community Cycling Center.
- Roberta Phillip-Robbins, MRG Foundation
- CJ Robbins, Black Male Achievement, Office of Equity & Human Rights, City of Portland
- Anne Marie Hiestand, Community Member
- Tatiana Elejalde, Office of Equity & Human Rights, City of Portland
- Koffi Dessou, President of Togo Community Organization of Oregon (TOGO CORE)
- Carrie Lanza, Lecturer, University of Washington, Bothell
- Nickole Cheron, Office of Equity and Human Rights
- M’lissa Wetherell, Community Member
- Mark McKechnie, Executive Director, Youth, Rights & Justice
- Terri Preeg Riggsby, Board Chair, West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District
- Robin Eisenbach, Facilitator at the Center for Equity and Inclusion
- Kelley Weigel, Executive Director, Western States Center
- Kyle & Renee Curtis, Community Members
- Kelli Brandt, Community Member
- Dante J. James, Director, Office of Equity and Human Rights
- Suphaphon Wendy Phanthadeth-Aguinaldo, community member
- Terri Akey, community member
- Malcolm J. Chaddock, Veterans For Peace CH 72 and Individuals For Justice
- Tazma Ahmed-Datta, community member
- Emily von W. Gilbert, community member
- Judith Eda, community member
- Leslie Honey, Community Member
- Steve Demerest, president, SEIU Local 503
- Qwo-Li Driskill, Community Member
- Sarita Amaya, Community Member
- Susan Rives Denight, Community Member
- Blanca Garcia-Rinder & Keiran Wright, Community Members
- Kelley Weigel, Western States Center
- Rev. Bill Sinkford, Senior Minister, First Unitarian Church of Portland
- Rev. Thomas Disrud, Associate Minister, First Unitarian Church of Portland
- Rev. Dr. Emily Brault
- Cyndi Swaney, Community MemberJ
- Janet Byrd, Executive Director, Neighborhood Partnerships
- Rev. Heather Rion Starr, native Portland Oregonian, Co-Minister, Unitarian Society of Hartford, CT
- Jessica Marks, Co-President, The Refugee Center Online
- Dr. Aileen Alfonso Duldulao, Community Member
- Rujuta Gaonkar, Community Member
- Sandy Bacharach, Community Member
- Jessica Katz, Project Coordinator Family Preservation Project
- Shweta Moorthy, Coalition of Communities of Color
- Constance Cloak, Member of the West Linn Alliance of Inclusive Community
- Stephen Marc Beaudoin, board chair, Multnomah Education Service District
- Lisa Lyon, Laurelhurst Resident
- Sari Storch Mathes, new Oregonian
- Hannah Love, Campaign Manager, A Better Oregon
- Heidi Guenin, community member
- Meg Niemi, President SEIU Local 49
- Brian Rudiger, Executive Director SEIU Local 503
