In the wake of the Poway Synagogue shooting, the San Diego Regional Hate Crimes Coalition held a Hate Crimes Community Forum at California State University San Marcos McMahan House Wednesday night. It featured discussions of victim services, community impact and house of worship protection.
The forum came nearly four months after a deadly shooting at a synagogue in Poway. On April 27 – the last day of Passover – suspect John Earnest allegedly attacked the Chabad of Poway, killing worshipper Lori Gilbert-Kaye, 60. Three others were also wounded in the shooting: Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, 8-year-old Noya Dahan, and her uncle, Almog Peretz.
Several people took the opportunity to speak at the event, some recalling hate crimes they have experienced. Among the speakers was Yusef Miller, whose place of worship, the Islamic Center of North County, was allegedly firebombed by the same man charged with the attack on a synagogue in Poway in April. Telemundo 20 reporter Sergio Flores, moderated the forum.
Miller said that some hate has grown from learned behavior, but said that people of clarity can be the example of how to live in harmony.
On the topic of bullying and hate speech, Miller stressed the importance of reporting it when we see it. The where, when, how and why “makes up a profile of what’s going on in our nation, what’s going on in our schools and out communities,” Miller said.
San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan said the fact that leaders and community members were willing to come together to adress the topic was sign of hope that hate crimes may one day cease.
#NBC7 #hate Crimes #Br Yusef Miller “Hatred is not new, it’s just emboldened”. The religious community in San Diego acts together in this effort to deal with “America’s underbelly, we cant ignore it” America is great, wonderful, but we need to recognize hate lives pic.twitter.com/v3kSRwFseG
— J W August (@JW_August) August 15, 2019
“The numbers definitely show there are more hate crime incidents,” Chair of the San Diego Regional Hate Crimes Coalition Chris Tenorio said. “What we’re trying to do is get people to reduce what the precursors are so they’ll report them more often.”
Tenorio and U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer stressed the importance of reporting hate crimes or threats and unusual activity to police. “If you see a hate crime occurring or about to occur, dial 9-1-1 — speak out, stand against hate and violence,” Brewer said.
San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan said the fact that leaders and community members were willing to come together to adress the topic was sign of hope that hate crimes may one day cease.
“We cannot accept and tolerate that people can be shopping for their kids’ back to school and get slaughtered because of who they are. We can’t tolerate that people are praying in a synogague on a holy Passover and that they face violent murder. We can’t tolerate that our mosques get burned, that our churches get defaced because LBGT members go there,” Stephan said.
#NBC7 Hate Forum. “Our children and our grand children are hearing everything we say” #DA Summer Stephan. “We are facing a challenge because of those hiding on social medium platforms” are preaching hate. pic.twitter.com/qUJ7WQNVNr
— J W August (@JW_August) August 15, 2019
Other featured guests included a security specialist with insight on how to protect houses of worship, and a representative from the National Conflict Resolution Center. Panel discussions included members of law enforcement and the Anti-Defamation League.
Organizers hoped the forum would help educate faith centers on the issues surrounding hate crimes and ways to make improvements on security and safety systems.
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