BPF Boston: [Fwd: [tellthesangha] Fwd: violence against immigrants]

[BPF Boston chapter announcements]

Dear friends . . . this message from a member of Boston Old Path Sangha 
calls us to help support immigrant rights at at the 11th annual 
Immigrants' Day at the State House: Interfaith Summit for Immmigrant 
Justice, April 12, in the morning . . . more information at: 
http://www.miracoalition.org/issues/state/interfaith-summit . . .in 
peace, joan

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: *Koehler, Julia* < Julia.Koehler at childrens.harvard.edu 
<mailto:Julia.Koehler at childrens.harvard.edu>>
Date: Mar 9, 2007 7:23 PM
Subject: violence against immigrants

Very sadly, this week's events here in Massachusetts played out again 
the violence and fear under which hundreds of thousands of people in 
Massachusetts live. As I'm sure you know, the Department of Homeland 
Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement sent helicopters and 
agents to arrest 350 factory workers who sew vests and backpacks for the 
US military. Most are women. Many are from Guatemala and El Salvador. 
They were taken to a former military base 2 hours west of Boston and 
many were flown to Texas. They were torn away from their families and 
children. It is unknown how many children are without their caretakers, 
and the state has placed 29 in foster homes. Two breastfeeding infants 
had to be hospitalized for dehydration.

I can't begin to imagine the trauma to all the children, not to mention 
the women themselves and their friends and relatives.

As we talked about recently, this is one of the most brutal aspects of 
racism in our community - the way undocumented immigrants are treated as 
criminals and in this case, like terrorists, with the helicopters and 
the immediate transportation to far-away sites.

There are hundreds of thousands of people without documents here in 
Massachusetts, who clean our offices or our homes, cook and serve our 
food, build and paint our houses, repair our cars, and take care of our 
children and old people. All of them are now living under an even darker 
cloud of fear. Many won't be able to sleep at night, the way my friends 
can't sleep at night thinking of arrest, brutalization, and prison.

Though I haven't come to sittings in a long time, I wonder whether the 
Sangha might join other faith groups in taking a stand against this 
violence. An interfaith summit for immigrant justice is being planned 
for April 12. Speakers are

Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley
Rabbi Barbara Penzner
Right Reverend Thomas Shaw
Reverend Hurmon Hamilton
Imam Basyouny Nehela
Pastor Greg Bishop
Reverend Cheng Imm Tan

There is a long list of endorsing organizations. I found it at this website

http://www.miracoalition.org/issues/state/interfaith-summit

If you think this makes sense, you could introduce the idea to the 
sangha, maybe forward my message.

Thank you Laura !

Julia










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