Giving Back to our Community Interfaith Works is an Olympia non-profit association of faith communities and individuals of diverse faith traditions. Their purpose is social justice and peace through interfaith understanding and cooperation, and service to the community through charitable, social and educational endeavors.
A statement issued July 5, 2018:
The Olympia Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses was destroyed by a suspicious fire early Tuesday morning. Ongoing crimes against local Kingdom Halls are under investigation and we don’t know yet the details of this situation. What we do know is that this structure was dedicated to the sacred purpose of worshiping God, and gathering in a safe, supportive place with loved ones. As such, this was a loss for our whole community, all people who worship, gather in peace and find spiritual connection with one another.
We should all be able to enjoy the freedom of worshiping as each of us sees fit, so long as we live peaceably with our neighbors. We fully recognize that this right of safety, comfort and freedom is not made available to all people in this country. This incident reminds us that the realities of violence for marginalized people, and in this case, religious minorities such as the Jehovah’s Witness community, is very real for many people today. Violence reverberates, and when any community is targeted, it affects us all. The Board of Directors of Interfaith Works stand with all faith communities in condemning violence against places of worship sacred to any and all groups.
