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CHRISTCHURCH MASSACRE REMEMBERED

Pastors, Officials Offer

Support To Local Sufis

A Cooperstown contingent – seated from left, Methodist Pastor Tom LeBeau, and Presbyterians Carol Beechy and Pastor Elsie Roades – attended Sunday evening's service of solidarity at the Sufi community in Sidney.  (Ian Austin/AllOTSEGO.com)

By IAN AUSTIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

Attendees include the Rev. Craig Schwallenberg, pastor of Oneonta's UU Church.

SIDNEY CENTER – Spiritual leaders, mayors, law-enforcement officers, friends and neighbors gathered Sunday evening at the Sufi Muslim community of Osmanli Dergahi here to express solidarity after the mass shooting in Christ Church, New Zealand.

"You coming here shows you care." said Junaid Khan, a leader of the community. "Facebook, twitter, they don't matter. Thank you for taking action and coming here. It means a lot to us."

A gunman entered Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch during Friday Prayer on March 15 and shot almost 100 worshipers, killing 50, in the worst mass shooting in that nation's history.

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