How an Act of Hatred United a Texas Community

(siren) - I could smell the smoke,
and I could see the flames shooting way up in the sky.
You think, "Is this real?"
It was like a nightmare.
(crashing)
My kids were there, my wife was there,
inside a few hours before.
To think that somebody not only burned the mosque
but is trying to burn everything that you believed in,
that no, you're not part of this American fabric.
(sorrowful strings)
I kept thinking, "What is going on here?"
You know, we live here, our kids grew up here.
Are we wanted?
Are we welcome?
Is this a goodbye eviction notice?
(soft piano melody)
- When I became aware that it was an act of arson,
a hate crime, I chose to offer the keys
to our synagogue to the Muslim community.
That was done without any thought of religion or politics.
About a decade ago, our synagogue was desecrated
with swastikas and "Heil, Hitler,"
so we've been through this before.
- There are a hundred churches in Victoria, Texas,
and then there's one mosque and there's one synagogue.
It's easy to fall in your own little world and bubble.
And yet, I would have never guessed
that the community would have responded like this.
I canceled Sunday school, and I drove over there.
I wanted to show my support and solidarity for them.
And I was thrilled to see hundreds of people
come out of the woodwork and show up
for these prayer services.
- [Gary] We had Christians, Jews,
Blacks, Whites, gays, straights
together in solidarity with each other.
When the attempts are made to divide us,
actually, it backfires on the perpetrator
'cause it really bands us all together
as a cohesive group.
- I remember standing, praying together
with hundreds of community members in front of us.
The charred mosque was right behind us.
And we almost turned our back to the past, to the hate.
And you feel there is hope, not only for now
but for the future.
The outpouring of support was a powerful message of healing.
This came from a family in Oregon.
"You are our brothers and sisters.
"Never forget that there is more love than you can see."
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How an Act of Hatred United a Texas Community

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