11 Times People Were Better Together

...and by people we mean Jews, Hindus, Christians, Secular Humanists, Muslims, Sikhs--basically everyone from atheists to Zoroastrians .

We're Interfaith Youth Core and we have a simple idea: religion doesn't have to be a bomb of destruction, a barrier of division, or a bubble of isolation.

Instead, it can be a bridge of cooperation. But don't take our word for it.

Here are 11 examples.

1. An entire high school soccer team in Aurora, CO wore hijabs to support their Muslim teammate

colorlines.com

Despite even FIFA allowing it, a Muslim soccer player was told by refs she couldn't wear her hijab while playing. So the rest of the team decided to wear one in solidarity. The refs then decided to let the team play, hijab and all.

2. Pope Francis washed the feet of a Muslim woman prisoner as a sign of humility and love

telegraph.co.uk

This is on top of promoting interfaith understanding, embracing the sick, and having a soft place in his heart for baby sheep.

3. Christians protected Muslims praying during Cairo protests

A ring of Christians joined hands and surrounded hundreds of Muslims protesters left vulnerable as they knelt in prayer during the protests in Tahrir Square.

4. ...and Muslims protected a Christian church in Pakistan

huffingtonpost.com

200-300 people formed a human chain in solidarity. This was in reaction to a deadly suicide bombing that killed over 100 people at a christian church two weeks before.

5. ...and Sikhs and Muslims guarded each other's houses of worship during the 2011 London Riots.

birminghammail.co.uk

“We’ve been protecting each other and it feels good to have put differences behind us and establish common ground because we both love our communities and want the streets to feel safe."

But this sort of interfaith cooperation has been around for a while.

6. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel stood together during the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965.

dartmouth.edu

While marching arm in arm from Selma to Montgomery to rally for voter rights, the famous Rabbi reflected, “I felt my legs were praying”.

7. A Secular Humanist and Quaker planned the March on Washington

popularresistance.org

Yeah, that would be A. Philip Randolph (left) and Bayard Rustin (right). This duo were the movers and the shakers that made the 1963 March on Washington happen.

To jog your memory, that would be the march where MLK gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.

8. MLK said "Gandhi was the guiding light of our technique of non-violent social change"...

mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu

He even went on a trip to India to follow in Gandhi's footsteps.

9. And “the bold and brave resistance" of Jesus inspired Gandhi himself

sojo.net

The role that the Jesus of the New Testament played in inspiring Gandhi's philosophy of non-violent resistance cannot be understated.

10. George Washington promised the Jews of Rhode Island in 1790 that his government would give "bigotry no sanction..."

loc.gov

"...to persecution no assistance" and that all the United States required was those "who live under its protection, should demean themselves as good citizens".

11. And finally when Charles Bonny said this at the first Parliament of World Religions at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893...

upload.wikimedia.org

"From now on, the great religions of the world will no longer declare war on each other, but on the giant ills that afflict [humankind]."

This was the first ever gathering of the worlds different religious and philosophical traditions. It's also is widely credited as being the birth of the modern interfaith movement.

But this is a story that needs to be told louder. Way louder. Far too often the voices of intolerance dominate the headlines, drowning out stories like these.

That's why April 10th is Better Together Day.

It's a national day of action to show that we are so much stronger when we work together across lines of religious difference. And in fact, we're better off when we do.

If you agree, join us at ifyc.org/beblue and #BeBlue on April 10th for Better Together Day.

Help us show the world that we're better together.