Parliament of the World’s Religions Statement on the Indianapolis Shooting

The Parliament of the World’s Religions unequivocally condemns the mass shooting attack carried out in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA on Thursday, April 15. The monstrous attack against the workers of a FedEx facility resulted in the deaths of 8 victims, four of whom were members of the local Sikh community.

The Parliament stands with the global Sikh community, the Indianapolis community, and the victims affected by this horrific attack and their families.

The Parliament of the World’s Religions remains committed to a culture of non-violence and respect for life, as stated in our signature document Towards A Global Ethic.

“All people have a right to life, safety, and the free development of personality insofar as they do not injure the rights of others. No one has the right physically or psychically to torture, injure, much less kill, any other human being. And no people, no state, no race, no religion has the right to hate, to discriminate against, to ‘cleanse,’ to exile, much less to liquidate a ‘foreign’ minority which is different in behavior or holds different beliefs”.

– Towards A Global Ethic: A Declaration of the Parliament of the World’s Religions

We invite the global interfaith movement and all individuals of faith and conscience to renew our dedication to the fight against violence and religious bigotry. We also join with others in calling for rigorous gun control laws and their effective implementation, knowing that easy access to guns leads to great loss of life including mass murders.

We affirm the dignity of all human beings and uphold the shared aspiration to become a national and world community of respect and care which is safe for all for people.