Students, faculty and others were drawn together in solidarity and grief March 22 at the Asa Packer Memorial Church on the edge of the Lehigh University campus. They were there to express their concerns and thoughts and to show their support of the victims killed in Christchurch, New Zealand March 15, when 50 people were murdered and 50 wounded by a white Australian man espousing white supremacy as a reason for his massacre.

Among the students attending the prayers at Packer Memorial Church at Lehigh University was Hiwot Demelash, a Lehigh University student from Nashville, Tenn. She said, “I was really distraught by all the other violence. I feel like we’re getting too comfortable to this kind of thing. There should be more social engagement between Muslims and people who are not exposed to that religion.

Tasnim Chowdhury, a Lehigh student from New York and now hailing from Philadelphia, said, “It’s my identity; I’m Muslim. For too long any and every religion has been under attack. I was really disturbed by all of the violence,” Chowdhury said. “I feel like we’re getting too comfortable with it.

“There should be more social engagement between Muslims and people who are exposed to that religion,” Chowdhury said.

Lehigh University student Mohamed Raafa, formerly of Egypt but now living in Bethlehem, said, “It’s so sad. The media presents a negative image of Muslims in the U. S. and all over the world. There is a small percentage of Muslims who are terrorists but it is not representative of all Muslims.”

“I felt tremendous sadness – sorrow,” Em Finney, of Bethlehem said. She was sitting with a friend on a pew seat at the front of the cathedral-like chapel.

“It was a horrendous attack on a peaceful religion,” Finney’s friend Terri Ball-Nicholas, also of Bethlehem and an employee of Lehigh University said. She said the Muslim religion is misunderstood by the majority of the public. She said comments made by public officials, including the president and his supporters, add to the problem.

Dr. Yasir Abunamous, a physician from Alburtis, attended. “The news we got last Friday was devastating and deeply personal,” Abunamous said. “When our community gathers together during events like this one, it provides solace during our times of grief, and helps foster solidarity. Out of the darkness we begin to see rays of light and hope.”

Some of the university’s clerics were there to lead the assembly. Rev. Dr. Lloyd Steffen opened the ceremonies. He is with the Office of University Chaplain and a professor of religion studies.

“The Lehigh community comes together today to share in the grief that has visited our brothers and sisters in New Zealand,” Rev. Lloyd said, “even as that country today pauses to honor the dead. Women all around the country – including the Prime Minister – have donned head scarves to show support for the Muslim women. The outpouring of support for the people of New Zealand expresses the clear desire to shun violence, to condemn hate speech, and to call for the building of a more peaceful and less violent world.

“We sometimes feel powerless in the face of such acts, but we are not powerless. We should consider the obligation we have to each other because of our common humanity.

“God’s work must be our own work,” he said, paraphrasing President John F. Kennedy’s “…here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.”

Rabbi Steve Nathan, director of Jewish Student Life and associate chaplain at Lehigh, continued the theme of a common humanity.

“Each and every human is created in the image of God,” Nathan said. “Human beings are made from the same mold, but each is unique. Our diversity makes us beautiful. There is so much work to be done.

“There is a great deal of work to be done,” Nathan said. “And it is easy to feel hopeless. However, we must remember the words of the ancient rabbis in Perkel Avot: ‘It is not up to us to complete the task (of repairing our world), but that does not give us permission to give up on it.’”

An unidentified speaker said, “We have experienced a despicable, evil act.”

Another unidentified speaker, calling himself a Catholic, said, “People cherry-pick the Bible and the Quran for excuses to kill.” He suggested reading the “Peace Prayer” by St. Francis – “Lord make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love….”

A retired Lehigh faculty member said, “I reject the idea of tribalism. I don’t know what we can do to put tribalism behind us.”

A woman urged the attendees to, “Seek out the good.”

Dr. Walead Mosaad, director of Muslim Student Life at Lehigh University, said, “It’s easy to be kind to the ones you like.” Then he told the Aesop fable, “The Lion and Three Bulls,” wherein the lion, who is powerless against the three bulls together, divides them by the color of their fur, thus turning them against each other – then the lion conquers and eats each bull in turn.

“What can we do?” Mosaad asked. “I love everyone in this room. You honor us with your presence. What can we do? We can’t change society all at once, but I can certainly change myself.”

In a post-service interview, Mosaad shared additional thoughts.

“When people see senseless violence, they need to make sense of it. Besides thoughts and prayers, there are things we can do, such as have a good relationship with people you meet. Don’t dehumanize people.

“We’ve devolved into ideological tribalism,” Mosaad said. “Instead of mobs and pitchforks, they do it on the Internet.

“They come out of self-radicalization, sitting in their basements – sitting alone in a toxic artificial environment that’s not real. Large numbers of people can become deluded.”