Dr. Nathan Stone of the Universal Unitarian Church stood at the podium and looked out at a crowd of about 250 people gathered before him, a crowd of different races, ages and faiths.

“This is beautiful,” he said. “We need to do this every year.”

Stone was one of seven speakers at a candlelight vigil held Saturday at the Islamic Center of Waco on Benton Drive.

Attendees hold candles to honor those lost in the 9/11 attacks and heard a message of brotherhood, peace and unity at Saturday night’s vigil.
Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald

The vigil was held in memory of 9/11 victims and to encourage people to come together as one, regardless of their faith or religion.

One attendee, Buddy Sipe, the executive director of the Greater Waco Interfaith Conference, wanted people to take away a message of peace and brotherhood from the event.

“Maybe if we had things like this before (Sept. 11), we wouldn’t be here today,” Sipe said.

The event was largely organized by Al Siddiq, director and founder of the Islamic Center of Waco.

“In these times of prejudice and harassment, we need to come together and act against not only radical Muslims, but radical forms of judgment (against) people here living on our own American soil,” Siddiq said in an e-mail prior to the event.

Controversies involving Islam have been in the spotlight recently.

Specifically, there has been backlash against building a mosque near ground zero and Gainesville, Fla., pastor Terry Jones’ pledge to burn the Quran, a stance he backed away from in recent days.

“The incidents in Florida and New York are spreading hate and misunderstanding,” Siddiq said Saturday. “It’s important to all be in the same boat and not fighting each other.”

Representatives from five different faiths stood before the crowd to share their own version of God’s love for everyone.

“Jesus commanded us to love, and to love our neighbor,” Pastor Dorisanne Cooper of Lake Shore Baptist Church said. “But love can be risky and defiant. To seek peace in a world full of violence seems as deviant and as big a risk as it gets.”

Tolerance and peace were the underlying themes in the messages delivered by Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Baha’i and Muslim representatives.

A man wipes away a tear Saturday as he listens to the reading of the names during New York City’s Sept. 11th commemoration ceremony on the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
Stephen Chernin/Associated Press

“I’m going to call you ‘brothers and sisters,’ instead of Americans,” Siddiq said. “Because that’s what we are, above all else.”

Speakers expressed condolences to victims of the terrorist attacks and their families. All said they believe that coming together as one has the power to change the world.

“We gather together with candles to light the way to a better world for our children and our children’s children,” Cooper said.

Thursday, Baylor University held on-campus events to foster tolerance between faiths for students, faculty and staff, including a pre-dawn meal, prayers and an open academic forum discussing relations between Christians, Jews and Muslims.

cquackenbush@wacotrib.com

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