The Rev. Dr. Keith Roderick is the Washington Representative of Christian Solidarity International and the Secretary General of the Coalition for the Defense of Human Rights. Here is his statement at this afternoon’s press conference:
I am here to support the relatives who grieve the loss of the Armanious family and also are burdened by intense public pressure to provide some insight into this terrible tragedy. The fact that this press conference is taking place in Washington, D.C. rather than in Jersey City points to the broader impact of this case.
The investigation is not complete; no suspects have been identified; and, the District Attorney”s office of Hudson County is pursuing a number of theories related to the motive and nature of the crime. Public statements by that office indicate that theories related to robbery have been given precedence over a possible hate crime as a motive. By stressing that there are no facts substantiating a religious motivation to this crime, the confidence of the family has been eroded that the local investigation will lead to a resolution.
A great deal in the media has been made of the potential conflict within the Christian and Muslim communities if the investigation leads to a religious motive. The central issue here should not be about communal disputes, but the fact that the perpetrators of this vicious crime are still at large. To avoid pursuit of what may be the most obvious motive of the murder for fear of maligning one part of the Jersey City community or creating a backlash against that community is irresponsible. We hope that the investigation will confront the case honestly without the fear of sectarian concerns. Those are issues best addressed by the leaders of the communities and social workers, not law enforcement. Justice is having done the right thing for the right reason; injustice for having done nothing for the wrong reason. The delay in pursuing leads indicating a hate crime risks a terrible miscarriage of justice.
We join with our colleagues in urging the Justice Department to take a greater lead in the investigation and to give special attention to the civil rights dimension of the case. From the perspective of ethnic and religious minorities who have fled religious persecution and violence by Jihadists in their native countries, this case is unnerving. Many non-Muslim immigrants have told me that they believed that when they fled to the United States from these pressures, they would be safe. This case has made them feel vulnerable. More than any other group, the Coptic community hopes that their fears are proven wrong, and that this was not religiously motivated or an act of micro-terrorism by extremists. However, they are also looking for assurance that their civil liberties will be protected and that they will enjoy equal protection of the law.
I hope to be bringing you more details of those leads that have not yet been pursued — and news that they are now being pursued — soon.