Easter Letter 2013 for Yasmine Church Members from 1) Imam Yahya Hendi- president Clergy Beyond Borders; Muslim Chaplain, Georgetown University (Washington DC) 2) Dr. Sayyid Syeed- National Director, Office of Interfaith and Community Affairs, Islamic Society of North America (Washington DC) 3) Imam Shamsi Ali- Indonesian Mission to the U.N ; Imam of the Jamaica Muslim Center (NY) Evangelical Protestant 4) Rev. Dr. Gilbert Velez, Senior Pastor, Iglesia Cristiana Misericordia, (Laredo, TX); chairman, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference Mainline Protestant 5) Rev. Dr. Carroll Baltimore, Sr., President, Progressive National Baptist Convention (Washington DC) 6) Rev. Chloe Breyer, Executive Director, The Interfaith Center of New York (NY, NY) Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson, Minister for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, United Church of Christ (Cleveland) Jewish: Rabbi Julie Schonfeld –Executive Vice-President, Rabbinical Assembly [Conservative], (NY, NY) Rabbi Peter Knobel – Rabbi Emeritus, Beth Emet Free Synagogue, (Evanston, IL); past president, Central Conference of Amer. Rabbis [Reform] Rabbi Stephen Gutow- President, Jewish Council for Public Affairs [Reconst.], (NY, NY) Rabbi Asher Lopatin, Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel Congregation, Chicago, IL; (Orthodox) Rabbi Sid Schwarz, Senior Fellow, Clal: National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership (Reconst.) (Washington, DC)

1. Letter to GKI Yasmine
Dear Yasmine Church Members,
We wish to extend our sincerely greetings to your community as you
struggle to express your heartfelt religious faith on your holy day of
Easter. We, as diverse faith leaders in the United States stand in
solidarity with your community as you strive to express your religious
beliefs in freedom and without fear of persecution. We were deeply
sadden to learn of the harassment that your community faces in
Indonesia, a religiously diverse and vibrant country that faces many
challenges in protecting the human rights of all its citizens, including
the right to freedom of religious expression among people of minority
faith traditions. We stand together against the desecration of all holy
places.
We wish you a beautiful Easter and stand with you in admiration of
your strength and ongoing struggle.
Sincerely,
1) Imam Yahya Hendi- president Clergy Beyond Borders; Muslim Chaplain,
Georgetown University (Washington DC)
2) Dr. Sayyid Syeed- National Director, Office of Interfaith and Community
Affairs, Islamic Society of North America (Washington DC)
3) Imam Shamsi Ali- Indonesian Mission to the U.N.; Imam of the Jamaica
Muslim Center (NY)
Evangelical Protestant
4) Rev. Dr. Gilbert Velez, Senior Pastor, Iglesia Cristiana Misericordia,
(Laredo, TX); chairman, National Hispanic Christian Leadership
Conference
Mainline Protestant
5) Rev. Dr. Carroll Baltimore, Sr., President, Progressive National Baptist

2. Convention (Washington DC)
6) Rev. Chloe Breyer, Executive Director, The Interfaith Center of New
York (NY, NY)
Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson, Minister for Ecumenical and Interfaith
Relations, United Church of Christ (Cleveland)
Jewish
Rabbi Julie Schonfeld –Executive Vice-President, Rabbinical Assembly
[Conservative], (NY, NY)
Rabbi Peter Knobel – Rabbi Emeritus, Beth Emet Free Synagogue,
(Evanston, IL); past president, Central Conference of Amer. Rabbis
[Reform]
Rabbi Stephen Gutow- President, Jewish Council for Public Affairs
[Reconst.], (NY, NY)
Rabbi Asher Lopatin, Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel Congregation, Chicago,
IL; (Orthodox)
Rabbi Sid Schwarz, Senior Fellow, Clal: National Jewish Center for
Learning and Leadership (Reconst.) (Washington, DC)