LANSING, Michigan: An online fundraiser for family members of the man who opened fire in a Michigan church and set it ablaze has raised over $275,000 as of Thursday in what the organizer described as a “whirlwind of love and forgiveness.”
On Sunday, Thomas “Jake” Sanford, 40, drove his pickup truck into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel in Grand Blanc Township, near Flint, shot at the congregation and set the building on fire.
The attack killed four people, injured eight others and left the church destroyed. Police killed Sanford at the scene.
Dave Butler, a Utah resident and lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, watched news coverage of the attack for hours. The following day, he considered that Sanford’s family were also victims of the attack.
“We understand that there is a family that needs to be taken care of,” he said.
Butler set up the fundraiser on the platform GiveSendGo on Tuesday morning. He leveraged media connections from his participation in podcasts about the Latter-day Saints faith to help promote the fundraiser.
Donations poured in and the effort quickly drew attention, too, highlighting many people being far more familiar with efforts to raise money online for victims of mass shootings in the US
Authorities have not discussed Sanford’s motive for the attack this week, though they have described it as an “act of targeted violence” by Sanford alone. Longtime friends have said he expressed hatred toward the faith known widely as the Mormon church after living in Utah, where he dated but later broke up with a woman who was a member of the faith.
Butler’s original goal was to raise $10,000 to help the family through the next few months.
He said many members of the faith have articulated that contributing felt like the right way to respond to the tragedy.
“I feel like I’m responding to an attack against us in the right way. Not to get revenge, not to get justice, not to blame the wrong people,” Butler said.
Over 7,000 people contributed to the fundraiser for the Sanford family in the 48 hours since it was posted, raising more money than any of the verified online fundraisers for the churchgoers who were killed or injured in the attack. Many left messages saying that they are members of the wider church.
“Another Latter-Day Saint here, praying for this family to feel loved and supported during these challenging times,” wrote a donor who did not list a name.
An attorney for the Sanford family did not return a message left by The Associated Press on Thursday. In a previous written statement release by their attorney, family members said, “No words can adequately convey our sorrow for the victims and their families.”
Forgiveness is a mandate for members of the faith, said Deidre Nicole Green, assistant professor of Latter-day Saint/Mormon Studies at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. She said Joseph Smith’s Book of Doctrine and Covenants states that “it is up to God to forgive who God wants to forgive, but as human beings, we’re required to forgive everyone – even our enemies.”
“There is still some nuance that could apply to different situations,” Green said. “In one passage in the Book of Mormon, we’re told we need to forgive those who repent or when a perpetrator is seeking forgiveness.”
Green teaches a class on forgiveness and has conducted research among women members of the faith who survived the genocide in Rwanda and in post-apartheid South Africa. Green said a Rwandan woman felt compelled to forgive her father’s killer because she wanted to break the cycle of violence.
“She talked about how without forgiveness, there is this ongoing cycle of retaliation where the sense of justice gets lost,” Green said. “So in that sense, forgiveness was necessary for justice.”
Butler pointed to several tenets of his faith that have likely inspired contributors, including the Christian ideal of forgiveness and turning “the other cheek.”
“The Epistle of James says to care for the widows and the orphans,” Butler said. “Jesus says, ‘Blessed are those that mourn. They shall be comforted.’“
Lisa Louis, who was in the chapel when her father, Craig Hayden, was fatally shot, said she instantly forgave the gunman “with my heart” after looking into his eyes.
Butler said he is in contact with the Sanford family and believes the messages left by many donors online were meaningful to them.
“The event is awful. There’s no way around it,” Butler said. “I hope that healing can come soon and that this can be part of the experience of healing.”
Fundraiser for family of Michigan church gunman raises more than $275,000
https://arab.news/58fxc
Fundraiser for family of Michigan church gunman raises more than $275,000
Somali president to Asharq Al-Awsat: Working with Saudi-led partners to void Israel’s Somaliland recognition
- Hassan Sheikh Mohamud unveils three-pronged diplomatic and legal strategy to defend Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial unity
- Says Mogadishu coordinates with Saudi Arabia and Arab, African partners to counter what he calls a dangerous precedent
RIYADH: Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud unveiled a three-pronged political and legal strategy to nullify what he described as Israeli recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland, warning that such a move threatens Somalia’s sovereignty and regional stability.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Mohamud said his government is acting in close coordination with partners led by Saudi Arabia to safeguard stability and shield the Horn of Africa from what he called “reckless escalation.”
Without naming specific countries, the Somali leader said some regional states may see the Israeli recognition as an opportunity to pursue “narrow, short-term interests at the expense of Somalia’s unity and regional stability.”
“I do not wish to name any particular country or countries,” he said. “But it is clear that some may view this recognition as a chance to achieve limited gains.”
He stressed that Somalia’s unity is a “red line,” adding that Mogadishu has taken firm positions to protect national sovereignty. “We warn against being misled by reckless Israeli adventurism,” he said.
Mohamud was referring to recognition announced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland as an independent state.
“I affirm with the utmost clarity and firmness that any recognition of Somaliland as an independent state constitutes a blatant violation of the sovereignty and unity of the Federal Republic of Somalia,” he said.
He described the move as a grave breach of international law, the UN Charter, and African Union resolutions that uphold respect for inherited African borders.
On that basis, Somalia has adopted and will continue to pursue three parallel measures, he revealed.
The first involves immediate diplomatic action through the UN, African Union, and Organization of Islamic Cooperation to reject and legally and politically invalidate the recognition.
Mohamud said Somalia called for and secured a formal session at the UN Security Council to address what he termed a “flagrant Israeli violation” of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The session, he said, marked a significant diplomatic victory for Mogadishu, particularly given Somalia’s current membership on the council.
He expressed “deep appreciation” for statements of solidarity and condemnation issued by the African Union, Arab League, OIC, Gulf Cooperation Council, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the EU, among others.
The second step centers on coordinating a unified Arab, Islamic, and African position. Mohamud praised Saudi Arabia for being among the first to issue a clear statement rejecting any infringement on Somalia’s unity.
He said the Saudi position reflects the Kingdom’s longstanding commitment to state sovereignty and territorial integrity, reinforced by the Saudi cabinet’s “firm and principled” support for Somalia during what he described as a delicate moment.
The third step focuses on strengthening internal national dialogue to address political issues within the framework of a single Somali state, free from external interference or dictates.
Mohamud warned that if left unchecked, the recognition could set a “dangerous precedent and undermine regional and international peace and security.”
He said it could embolden separatist movements not only in the Horn of Africa but across Africa and the Arab world, citing developments in countries such as Sudan and Yemen as evidence of the high cost of state fragmentation.
“This concerns a vital global shipping artery and core Arab national security,” he said, referring to the Red Sea.
“Any political or security tension along Somalia’s coast will directly affect international trade and energy security.”
He added that instability would impact Red Sea littoral states, particularly Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Yemen, and Jordan. “Preserving Somalia’s unity is a cornerstone of collective Red Sea security,” he said.
Mohamud argued that Israel’s objective goes beyond political recognition.
“We believe the goal extends beyond a political gesture,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat. “It includes seeking a strategic foothold in the Horn of Africa near the Red Sea, enabling influence over the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait and threatening the national security of Red Sea states.”
He described the move as a test of Somali, Arab, and African resolve on issues of sovereignty and territorial unity, emphasizing that Somalia’s opposition to secession is a principled and enduring national stance supported widely in the Arab and African worlds, “foremost by Saudi Arabia.”
He rejected any attempt to turn Somalia into a battleground for regional or international rivalries. “We will not allow Somalia to become an arena for settling conflicts that do not serve our people’s interests or our region’s security,” he declared.
Regarding Saudi-Somali relations, Mohamud described the partnership as “deep-rooted and strategic, rooted in shared history, religion, and a common destiny.” Saudi Arabia, he said, “remains a central partner in supporting Somalia’s stability, reconstruction, development, and Red Sea security.”
He voiced admiration for Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the economic and development gains achieved under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
Asked about the recent Saudi Cabinet decision rejecting any attempt to divide Somalia, Mohamud said the federal government received it with “great appreciation and relief.”
He said the position extends the Kingdom’s historic support for Somalia’s territorial unity and sovereignty, reinforces regional stability, and sends an important message to the international community on the need to respect state sovereignty and refrain from interference in internal affairs.
