Dignity Freedom Network

At the Dignity Freedom Network, their mission is to end atrocities and help the Dalit people achieve fundamental rights through a foundation of education, healthcare, and economic empowerment.

[Release] Most Rev. Joseph D’Souza condemns attacks on Muslims in Sri Lanka

May. 15, 2019

WASHINGTON — The Most Rev. Joseph D’Souza, president of the All India Christian Council, releases the following statement condemning the recent anti-Muslim riots in Sri Lanka:

“As a Christian bishop, I wholeheartedly condemn the attacks on Muslims in Sri Lanka, which according to reports, have been perpetrated by some Christians and Buddhist groups. Christians in Sri Lanka and all over the world mourn with great pain the devastating Easter attacks on churches and understandably thirst for justice. But we must remember that violence has never been, and will never be, the answer to violence. Retaliation will only lead to further violence and feed into the agenda of extremist groups such as ISIS who want to cause unrest between faith communities. It’s in moments such as these that faith leaders must stand up for what their faith teaches and call out those from within their own community who are resorting to violence.”

 

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Photos of Rev. D’Souza are available here.

Most Rev. Joseph D’Souza is widely considered one of the most influential voices of global Christianity. He is a justice and peace campaigner, civil rights advocate, interfaith peacemaker and Christian theologian.

Rev. D’Souza presides as moderator bishop and primate — or archbishop — over the Good Shepherd Church of India and is the president of the All India Christian Council. He is also a founding member of the Congress of Christian Leaders, an association of churches that provides a representative voice for its members and members’ organizations with a reasoned approach that is unifying, missional, objective, nonpartisan, global and biblical.