June 16, 2021
We, the undersigned, hereby assure Howard County residents that our respective leaders are in communication with one another in the aftermath of the recent violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip. We mutually seek to continue our longstanding and positive working relationships and to foster understanding in our communities.
Our faiths teach us to respect the dignity of every human being, as we are all children of the same Creator. We share many values based on two great religions that sprang forth from our mutual ancestor, Abraham/Ibrahim. We all aspire for civility, for ongoing dialogue, and for mutual understanding – even when we must respectfully disagree. We know, too, that there is much more that unites our communities than divides them.
In that spirit, we are committed to civility in our interactions and encourage residents to act similarly. We pledge to exercise civility and avoid derisive, divisive, or stereotyping language in all forms of communications.
In addition, together we urge our federal elected officials to exercise their influence for a peaceful solution that is mutually agreed upon by both parties in the Holy Land, where we also collectively condemn any kind of injustices against any of its residents.
We look forward to sharing our future interactions and dialogue with our communities as we move forward.
Signed: Howard County Board of Rabbis Howard County Muslim Council (HCMC) Jewish Community Relations Council of Howard County (JCRC) Jewish Federation of Howard County (JFHC) United Maryland Muslim Council (UMMC)