by Patrick Horn
Girish Shah of the Silicon Valley Interreligious Council, a United Religions Initiative Cooperation Circle in North America and recipient of the 2019 Bowes Award, was one of the interfaith panelists at a public hearing on October 24, 2019 with Assemblyman Kensen Chu and the Select Committee on Hate Crimes.
Girish endorsed the bill and recommended further implementation of a Compassion Index, so empathic change in communities can be measured. He recited a Jain prayer: "I forgive all living beings. May all living beings grant me forgiveness. My friendship is with all living beings. I have no animosity toward anybody."
Other speakers included Imam Tahir Anwar of the South Bay Islamic Association; Diane Fisher, director of the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley; Jon Pedigo, a priest with Catholic Charities of Silicon Valley; Nivair Singh of the Sikh Coalition; and Rajeev Singh of the Hindu American Foundation. The event was featured in local media.
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