Excerpt:
Three churches in St. Anthony plan to hold an interfaith gathering Sunday between Christian and Muslim leaders in response to anti-Islamic comments made at a City Council meeting during which board members rejected a proposed Islamic center.
Members of Nativity Lutheran Church, Faith United Methodist Church and St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church organized the event in an effort to show that not all citizens in the small bedroom community north of Minneapolis are against Muslims worshiping there.
"I thought it was unfortunate there weren't Christians speaking on behalf of the Muslim community, showing their support and solidarity," said Elsa Marty, the daughter of state Sen. John Marty and one of the organizers who attends Nativity Church, where the event will be held. "We want to make sure that's not the reality here, that we are hospitable to our neighbors of other faiths."