Full Statement from The Greenlining Institute:

We are grieving with Muslim communities in San Diego and across the country. We are furious that families, friends, and neighbors are once again being forced to mourn violence in a place meant for worship, refuge, and community.

Every act of racial and xenophobic terror tears at the fabric of our collective humanity.

This did not come out of nowhere. Anti-Muslim violence is fueled by decades of rhetoric, policies, and political narratives that cast Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, Iranian, Somali, and so many communities as foreign, other, and somehow less deserving of dignity and safety. 

From the Trump Administration’s Muslim ban to the rhetoric being used to justify war and violence abroad today, these tactics rely on dehumanization for political gain. They create the conditions for violence to follow. We refuse to accept systems that deny any of us our humanity.

Everyone – especially leaders, institutions, media figures, and those with platforms – must condemn anti-Muslim hate and stop rhetoric that puts Muslim communities in danger.

Across our movements, we must make clear that we reject all forms of anti-Muslim hate, racism, white supremacy, and the dehumanization of any community.

Greenlining’s work is rooted in building a future where our communities can live with safety, dignity, and self-determination. That future requires us to confront the institutions, policies, and political narratives that fuel violence against communities of color — and to choose, again and again, to build power together.

For deeper context on the history of anti-Muslim violence in San Diego and the ties between racism, militarism, and anti-Muslim hate, we encourage our community to read Esmat Elhalaby’s essay: www.parapraxismagazine.com/articles/san-diego-uber-alles

We also urge our community to support the victims’ families by donating here: https://goodbricks.org/campaign/icsd.org/official-icsd-victim—family-support-fund