In response to announcements from anti-Muslim activists intending to protest outside U.S. mosques and Muslim community centers this weekend, the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), released on Oct. 9 the following statement:

“As Christians, we are freed in Christ to love and serve our neighbors. Today our neighbors include Muslims – upstanding faithful Americans. The enemy we face is not Islam but hatred and fear. I join my sisters and brothers in calling for gestures of solidarity with our American Muslim neighbors. Together we can witness to the world that God’s love will have the last word.”

Eaton’s statement is one of several from U.S. religious and other leaders made available through the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign: Standing with American Muslims, Upholding American Values. The ELCA is a founding member of the campaign.