September 14, 2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PLEASE DISSEMINATE WIDELY

For More Info, Contact:

Dagonet Dewr
Membership Coordinator and Vice President, Pagan Pride Project
(Contact the project)

The Pagan Pride Project objects, in no uncertain terms, to the hate speech made by Reverend Jerry Falwell on September 13 in regards to the New York City and Washington, DC bombings, blaming the incidents on "pagans … abortionists.. Lesbians .. gays and feminists".

Pagans in the United States, like almost everyone else in our country, abhor and reject the hideous acts of terrorism performed by fundamentalist radicals on September 11. Pagans, too, are policemen, firemen, members of the military, EMTs, and, most of all, mourners. The Pagan Pride Project, who will host over eighty events this September and October to celebrate Paganism and educate people about Pagan religions, already supports the Red Cross in many locations, and will be holding many supplemental collections for various September 11 charities. In addition, existing blood drives – planned before the 9/11 tragedy – will be added to as well.

"The bombings on September 11 were a manifestation of a climate of hate," said Pagan Pride Project Membership Coordinator Dagonet Dewr. "Unfortunately, Reverend Falwell’s distorted comments are a separate manifestation of the same hate; the desire to destroy what we will not understand. Perhaps he should talk less and get out there and give blood and pray with the rest of us."

The Pagan Pride Project also expresses its concern and support for the American Muslim community. "As a religion that is also the victim of hate, intolerance, and prejudice, we understand that the acts of one are not the acts of all. We acknowledge and stand beside them in their time of suffering as well," said Pagan Pride Executive Director Cecylyna Dewr.

Paganism is a collective term for several religions that honor, revere, or worship a Deity or Deities found in pre-Christian, classical, aboriginal, or tribal mythology; practice religion or spirituality based upon shamanism, shamanic, or magickal practices; create new religion based on past Pagan religions and/or futuristic views of society, community, and/or ecology; and/or focus religious or spiritual attention primarily on the Divine Feminine. Last year the Pagan Pride Project had almost 9,500 people attend over sixty events in the United States and Canada, collected four and a quarter tons of food and goods for various charities, shelters, and food banks, and raised almost five thousand dollars for charity. This year, over eighty events are planned or have taken place in the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Brazil, Portugal, Australia, and Italy. A New York City event was to be held at Manhattan’s Battery Park, near the site of the World Trade Center.

For more information, contact the Pagan Pride Project online at their website – http://www.paganpride.org – or call them at (317) 536-3145.