The terrible news from New Zealand of mass shootings at mosques hits close to home. As Christchurch joins Charleston and Pittsburgh as communities shaken by a hatred so deep it leads to the massacres of men and women at their houses of worship,  we must mourn the loss of those who died and grieve for them and their families and communities. In October we had to call attention to rising antisemitism in our nation and around the world; today, we must call attention to rising Islamophobia and its violent consequences.  Once again, we vow in solidarity to work to eradicate the hate and ignorance that allow these acts of hatred to persist. As academics and as citizens, we must speak out against the on-going and transnational campaign of white nationalism that demonizes imagined “Others” and attempts to incite fear for political ends. Our department remains steadfast in its commitment to researching and teaching about religion to provide our students and the wider public with knowledge that leads to understanding and mutual respect, and strives to counter lies and hatred.

Faculty and Staff of the Department of Religious Studies, University of Pittsburgh -