FB-ISAO Attends the Faith-Based Safety and Security Symposium at the White House

“The need to preserve the right to peacefully congregate and practice a religion of choice is integral in the Constitution, and an attack against such facilities is a direct threat to American democracy”

DHS CISA Assistant Director Brian Harrell

On 25 Sep, FB-ISAO’s Managing Director, Andy Jabbour, was privileged to be in attendance at the Faith-Based Safety & Security Symposium held at the White House. The event was coordinated by White House staff and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and included a fantastic group of private and public sector leaders from across our great nation and our many faiths. Among the participants, FB-ISAO’s good friend and President of the Christian Emergency Network Mary Marr, was in attendance, as well as FB-ISAO Advisory Board Member Curtis Jones (pictured above, on right, with FB-ISAO’s Andy Jabbour on left).

“No person should be targeted for their beliefs. Such violence toward any human being is inherently wrong. While people of faith have been targeted, they also have made giant strides in our shared fight against hatred and discrimination.“

Representative John Joyce (PA-13)

During the Symposium, Vice President Mike Pence stopped by to speak with the group and Congressman John Joyce (PA-13) “discussed the importance of faith leaders in our nation’s shared fight against terrorism.” Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) summarized the event writing, “The symposium brought together approximately 180 people representing the faith-based communities, Federal Government, associations, and state/local governments. It also provided a forum through which security practitioners and others responsible for maintaining the safety of congregants can exchange best practices and gain a greater understanding of the resources the federal government has available to identify and address potential security gaps.”

FB-ISAO is grateful for the leadership of DHS CISA’s Assistant Director, Brian Harrell, and DHS FEMA’s Director for the Center for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives, Kevin Smith, as well as their staff and partners for putting together this important security event. Read more from CISA here and from Representative Joyce’s comments, “Religious Freedom is Core Tenet of American Democracy,” here.