On August 27th, during morning Mass at the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis, two children were murdered and eighteen others wounded. The attacker used weapons marked with vile slogans — including “6 million wasn’t enough,” “Where is your God?”, “This is liturgy,” and other messages mocking faith, glorifying violence, and targeting children. This was not just an act of senseless violence. It was an ideologically motivated act of hate — part of a disturbing and growing trend in Western society. B’nai Brith Canada has warned about this development for years. Violent hatred toward religious communities has been normalized. In our own country, synagogues, temples, mosques, and churches have been harassed, vandalized, and threatened in the name of destructive, asinine, and cowardly ideologies. This hatred, tolerated and excused by those in positions of influence, has once again led to bloodshed. This week in Minneapolis – in a house of worship, during prayer – hatred claimed the lives of two young children. B’nai Brith Canada extends our deepest condolences to the families of Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski, and to the entire Catholic community. May the memories of Fletcher and Harper be a blessing. May their families find comfort. And may what happened this week stir in us the collective moral courage to say: enough. (fb)

Say hello to Nafisa, our last Diverse Minds finalist and the author of Mel the Mouse and the Echo Tree. 🌳🐭 Hear Nafisa talk about her inspiration and what diversity means to her. Also interested in attending the national ceremony? Visit the link below to register today! https://www.bnaibrith.ca/eventssa/diverse-minds-national-awards-ceremony/ (fb)