Washington DC – Earlier this year, SALDEF was selected to serve on the Homeland Security Advisory Council Subcommittee on Preventing Targeted Violence Against Faith-based Communities (HSAC). The committee was formed in response to the significant rise in recent attacks against houses of worship across the nation. The subcommittee consists of individuals and organizations with specific expertise in law enforcement, military and security backgrounds, as well as scholars and experts in engaging with diverse religious and cultural communities.
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“The right to practice our respective religions free of interference or fear is one of our nation’s most fundamental and indelible rights. Therefore, the targeting of houses of worship by violent extremists of any ideology is particularly abhorrent and must be presented,” said Kevin McAleenan, Acting Secretary, Department of Homeland Security.
The subcommittee conducted visits across eight different states where houses of worship have been attacked, to hear community concerns and learn what actions DHS can take to facilitate effective, proactive, and community-based information sharing and protection efforts.
SALDEF sat down with the local Sangat and DHS HSAC Committee members in Wisconsin to discuss the tragic shooting at the Oak Creek Gurdwara in 2012. The group touched upon topics including efforts to create updated security measures, increased community outreach, creating better coordination with federal, state and local law enforcement, including the FBI and DHS, and interfaith coordination and response with local partners, that has been put in place since the attack.
SALDEF Executive Director Kiran Kaur Gill said, “We are grateful to the Sikh sangat of Oak Creek, Wisconsin and other religious communities across the country who have met with the subcommittee and shared their painful experiences with us as well as the measures they have put into place to minimize the likelihood of tragic events like this from happening in the future.”
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Site visits also included the Far Al Farooq mosque in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the Poway Synagogue in San Diego, CA, the Little Zion Baptist Church in Opelousas, New Orleans, and the Black Missionary Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi.
The subcommittee is tasked with addressing four specific items;
- Ensuring two-way information flows between DHS and faith-based organizations;
- Evaluating preparedness and protective efforts for the faith community,
- Understanding the role the faith-community could/should have in locally-based prevention efforts,
- Determining the adverse impacts that violent extremists and domestic terrorists, including those inspired by violent white supremacy ideologies, have on faith-based and other vulnerable communities.
Finally, the subcommittee will be releasing a formal report with its findings and recommendations in the next month.