As prayer vigils came together across campus, Penn State religious leaders called on the community not to react with hatred toward the religion and culture of those responsible for yesterday morning's attacks.
"This is an isolated act of extremism," Mark Ogden, advisor to the Asian American Christian Fellowship, told several thousand people at an ecumenical vigil in HUB Alumni Hall last night.
"Whoever is found to be guilty of this, whatever ethnic background they are, whatever religious background they are — do not let that common focal point (be a reason) to hate people from that background," Ogden said.
The low-key early evening event, attended by Penn State President Graham Spanier and other campus ministers, was not the only commemoration scheduled for yesterday and today.
Students took other planned and impromptu steps to provide support.
"I just want a bunch of people to get together and really pray for this," he said.
"It is an open atmosphere for people to pray. We want everyone out of the Body of Christ in State College to come and pray," Wendle said. "If ever our country needed prayer, it's now."
As yet, no students in the MSA have experienced threats or harassment of any kind, MSA president Zubair Malik said.
But Timothy Gianotti, assistant professor of religious studies, warned against linking any potential Islamic terrorists with Muslims in general. "The cloaking of these actions in religion and the theology of Islam is a distortion of the tradition," Gianotti said.
The Islamic Society of Central Pennsylvania also condemned the apparent terrorist attacks and offered condolences to the families of those who were killed or injured, according to a release last night.
