Interfaith Leaders Urge Caution as Virus Panic Engulfs New York

Faith leaders joined in solidarity with the Flushing community at a lunch organized by the Flushing Interfaith Council and the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce today at Dumpling Galaxy, a local restaurant located in Arcadia Mall, 42-35 Main St, Flushing, NY 11355.

More than a dozen faith leaders representing the Jewish, Christian, Hindu, and Baháʼí faiths gathered to caution New Yorkers against the panic spreading in the wake of the Covid-19 epidemic. An example of the irresponsible media coverage discussed at today's lunch included photos of Flushing used by the New York Times and the New York Post to illustrate reports of New York's first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus, even though the victim returned from a trip in Iran, lives in Manhattan, and is not connected with the immigrant community in Queens.

"Flushing businesses are already experiencing 30-50% drop in revenue because of the Corona virus panic," stated Taehoon Kim, an acupuncturist and president of the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce. "Today's news reports in the Times and Post will certainly add oil to the fire. As a business owner in Flushing, I take this as a declaration of economic war against Asians in addition to blatant racism."

Other faith leaders who spoke out against the media-inflamed racial panic included: Jack Chang, a member of the Baháʼí community of Queens and president the Flushing Interfaith Council; Caroline Lane, clerk of Flushing Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, Ramanathan Subramony of the Hindu Temple Society, Souksavat Soukhaseum of the Free Synagogue of Flushing, Lourdes Hartick of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Sau Chau of St. Michael's Church, and Jack Eichenbaum of the Queens Historical Society.

Photos from today's lunch available online via Google Photos.