As a leadership team within Power to Change – Students, we are grieved and saddened by the shooting in Atlanta that killed eight people, including six Asian Americans. We lament as we read of the racial and religious elements that are interwoven in the news reports. We grieve that people of Asian descent were targeted and that religious language was used as a motivation for killing image bearers of God. This grieves our hearts.
This situation also shines a light on the increase in racism towards Asian Canadians over the past year. Incidence reports and the stories of many of our friends tell us that many Asian Canadians have been treated in dehumanizing ways for no reason other than their ethnicity. This too deeply grieves our hearts.
We maintain the dignity of each person as made in the image of God. We stand with our Asian Canadian brothers and sisters in opposition to any behaviour that dehumanizes and disrespects them. We stand against the perversion of faith that divides and objectifies individuals created in the image of God.
Signed,
The National Leadership Team of P2C-Students