Faith leaders, DOJ convene in Washington to strengthen protection for houses of worship

By Mutiu Olawuyi

The Appeal of Conscience Foundation and the U.S. Department of Justice convened a high-level gathering of religious leaders in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2026, to address rising attacks against houses of worship and strengthen protections for communities of faith across the United States.

The meeting, held at the Department of Justice, brought together Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Hindu leaders alongside federal officials for a focused discussion on religious liberty, security, interfaith solidarity and the shared responsibility to confront hatred before it turns into violence.

The gathering was joined by Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Department of Justice, and leaders from the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, including its founder and president, Rabbi Arthur Schneier, and Executive Vice President Karen Schneier Dresbach.

“The normalization of heinous attacks on houses of worship and people of faith across the United States must not only be addressed with urgency but stopped before one more life is lost,” Dresbach said.

For Dresbach, the issue is both institutional and personal. She noted that she is the daughter of a Holocaust survivor whose synagogue in Vienna was burned, and that her own synagogue in New York has been targeted by hostile protests twice in the past year.

“I commend Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon and the Department of Justice for their commitment to protecting religious liberty and prosecuting those who attack and desecrate houses of worship,” Dresbach said. “Working together, we can help ensure that people of faith are able to worship safely and freely.”

Dhillon said the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has “zero tolerance” for attacks on houses of worship and will continue to investigate and prosecute those who target Americans because of their religion.

“No American should ever fear violence for simply practicing their faith,” Dhillon said. “Protecting religious liberty is a fundamental American value, and this Department will keep fighting to defend it.”

Rabbi Schneier described attacks on sacred spaces as assaults that reach the core of every religious community.

“Attacking a house of worship hits the jugular vein of every faith community,” Schneier said.

Participants discussed threats facing their respective communities, the duty of religious leaders to stand together when any faith group is targeted, and practical steps government and religious institutions can take collectively to protect churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and other sacred spaces.

The meeting included remarks from the Department of Justice and the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, a panel discussion for faith leaders, an invocation, a public statement read by His Grace The Rt. Rev. Irinej Dobrijevic, and a benediction by H.E. Archbishop Elpidophoros, Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

In their public statement, participating religious leaders called for stronger legislation to protect houses of worship and the creation of an ongoing body of religious leaders to monitor threats and work with the Department of Justice. They also reaffirmed that religious liberty and the free exercise of religion are fundamental First Amendment rights.

“It is in this spirit of mutual concern that we gather today, united not by fear, but by love — love for our own faithful and for our neighbor,” Archbishop Elpidophoros said. “By seeking to ensure that all places of worship are protected, and that our freedom to worship is safeguarded, we choose to remain resolute in the face of fear, hatred, and violence.”

Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, said the safety of one religious community cannot be separated from the safety of another.

“When one faith community is attacked, we all are wounded,” Parsamyan said. “We must stand together to protect every house of worship and every person’s right to practice their faith in safety and peace. An attack on your freedom is an attack on our freedom.”

The convening took place on the first anniversary of the attack at Annunciation Church, where two children were killed and 21 people were injured, and five days after the United Nations international observance commemorating victims of religious attacks.

Among the participants were Sheikh Musa Drammeh, president of Muslims-Israel Dialogue; Dr. Jasdip Chandhok, founder and chairman of Sikhs of America; H.E. Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See to the United States; Dr. Susan Michael, president of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA; Swami Parmatmananda Saraswati, general secretary of Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha; and leaders from the Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Serbian Orthodox, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Hindu communities.

For faith communities, the meeting carried a restorative message: security cannot be built by one community alone. It requires shared vigilance, legal accountability, public courage and a rejection of selective empathy. When one synagogue, church, mosque or temple is threatened, the wound extends beyond that community and weakens the nation’s promise of religious freedom.

The Appeal of Conscience Foundation, founded in 1965 by Rabbi Schneier, has worked for more than six decades to advance religious freedom, human rights, peaceful coexistence and interreligious cooperation. The foundation said its mission remains rooted in protecting houses of worship and promoting mutual understanding among people of faith.

The Washington gathering offered a clear call to action: strengthen law enforcement coordination, improve legislative protections, create standing interfaith security mechanisms and ensure that every American can worship without fear.

At a time when religious hatred continues to threaten communities across the country, the faith leaders’ message was direct: protecting houses of worship is not only a matter of security. It is a test of America’s commitment to freedom, dignity and respect for the other.