County’s clergy speak to suffering, tolerance

Published 9:00 pm Friday, September 14, 2001

By Sharon Salyer

Herald Writer

This week’s events caused Rabbi Harley Karz-Wagman to turn to the Book of Job.

He thought the ageless story of suffering and faith would help illuminate a week that for many Americans seemed nearly beyond comprehension.

Like religious leaders throughout Snohomish County, Karz-Wagman searched for ways to reconcile a God of goodness with the pain, suffering and thousands of deaths resulting from the hijacking of four airliners by terrorists on Tuesday.

"It’s beyond our human reasoning power to understand the suffering of the innocent," he said. "Nevertheless, we can respond to it. It’s our ability to feel the injustice of that suffering that is the beginning of faith."

Karz-Wagman said he worried about acts of bigotry that Arab Americans and Muslims are reporting as part of a backlash locally and across the nation.

During services Friday evening at Everett’s Temple Beth Or, Karz-Wagman said he would urge members to work for peace and justice.

At St. Mary Magdalen Church in Everett, the Rev. Joseph Marquart said that those implicated in this week’s terrorists attacks were zealots who have abused the historic Islamic faith.

"We’re not talking about religion when we’re talking about the people behind the destruction this week," he said. "God is God, whether it’s Allah or the God of Israel or the Christian God. God is the creator of everything."

Pastor F. Edwin Woodley of the Baker Street Mission, Church of God in Christ, said that he would pray for the nation’s healing during Sunday services, and is urging tolerance.

"What we believe is that evil is evil," Woodley said. "It doesn’t come from any nationality or religious group.

"What we’re asking is that people bind together as Americans," he said, adding that America is a melting pot of religions, nationalities and beliefs from everywhere in the world. "Turning anger toward people who have nothing to do with it, that’s evil perpetuated by ignorance."

The spiritual leader of a Lynnwood mosque delivered a sermon denouncing Tuesday’s attacks as a "catastrophe."

At the same time, he sought to assure more than 20 non-Muslims who came to midday prayer services on Friday to show support for the worshippers that the teachings of Islam run counter to the terrorist attacks.

"He who killed an innocent person in Islam, it is as if he has killed all of humanity," said the middle-aged imam, or religious teacher, who would only give his first name of Ismail.

The Dar Alarqam Mosque has been the target of both anger and support in the wake of the attacks. On Tuesday, the mosque’s sign was splattered with paint and threatening phone calls were left on its voice mail.

In the following days, local residents and religious leaders delivered piles of flowers and cards and left messages of support.

The Monroe United Methodist Church has opened its doors for daytime and evening prayers, and will continue to do so through the weekend, Pastor Dan Gerhard said. He began writing his message for Sunday worshippers on Thursday afternoon.

The minister said he worried about calls for retaliation and "upping the violence" in response to the terrorist attacks.

Still, he said he understood the feeling of bewilderment, how people struggled with the magnitude of this kind of terrorist deed.

"I’m still convinced that God can bring resurrection out of the death, destruction and evil that was thrown at us," he said.

He said he sees signs of hope in the effort put forward by rescue workers, the way the national blood supply is increasing and the response of people rallying to help one another.

"I think it’s helpful for us to remember that we’re not the first people who have had disaster strike us in this way," Gerhard said, "nor will we be the last."

— Herald reporter Warren Cornwall contributed to this report.

You can call Herald Writer Sharon Salyer at 425-339-3486

or send e-mail to salyer@heraldnet.com.