Wiesenthal Center Deplores Spate of Church Burnings

February 13, 2006

WIESENTHAL CENTER DEPLORES SPATE OF CHURCH BURNINGS  

The Simon Wiesenthal Center today applauded the efforts of Alabama Governor Riley and the FBI to bring to justice those responsible for the recent spate of church burnings in Alabama.  Ten Baptist churches were damaged by fire in January, some black congregations and some white.  Arson has either been determined to be the cause of the blaze or is suspected in all of the burnings.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean of the Center, provides the context to these crimes. "Attacks on houses of worship are a form of intimidation; often an act designed to suppress certain faith groups through fear. While it remains unclear as to the motivation behind these heinous crimes, we trust that law enforcement will make the apprehension of the perpetrators a top priority.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS and the Council of Europe.

For more information, please contact the Center's Public Relations Department, 310-553-9036, or visit www.wiesenthal.com.