Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., said Monday he was "absolutely heartbroken" by the string of violent attacks over the weekend that targeted Jews, American service members, and college students.
Appearing on Newsmax's "Wake Up America," Harris reacted to the deadly attack on Jewish people at Bondi Beach in Australia, the shooting at Brown University, and the killing of U.S. soldiers in Syria.
Harris, a Christian pastor who led First Baptist Church in North Carolina for more than a decade, framed the violence as an assault not only on innocent lives, but also on people of faith worldwide.
"Listen, this has been a tragic weekend," he said. "There's just no way to look at it any other way, from looking at what happened to losing our soldiers in Syria to seeing what happened there at Brown University."
Authorities are still searching for the suspect in the Brown shooting — which killed two students and injured nine Saturday — and Harris said unanswered questions only deepen the pain felt by grieving families and communities.
"We're still looking for the gunman and really trying to understand the motives," he said, noting the uncertainty surrounding the campus attack that took place during final exams.
Two U.S. service members and one American civilian were killed in an ISIS convoy attack in Syria on Saturday that also wounded three U.S. soldiers, authorities said.
Harris said the violence directed at the Jewish community in Australia was especially devastating, coming on the first night of Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights.
"Certainly, when we look at what happened in Australia to the Jewish community, it causes all of us to be absolutely heartbroken," Harris said.
According to authorities, 16 people were killed and 38 were injured when gunmen opened fire as people gathered to celebrate Hanukkah on Bondi Beach.
Harris echoed President Donald Trump's call for people of faith to respond publicly and without fear, saying silence only empowers intimidation and terror.
"It should cause all of us to be absolutely, as the president said, willing to stand up, speak up and continue to stand strong in our faith," Harris said.
The Republican congressman warned against allowing fear to shape public life or religious expression, arguing that unity around the world is essential.
"We're just not going to let people continue to try to intimidate and try to somehow create this terror that is going on in our culture right now," he said.
Acknowledging what he described as a "fallen world," Harris said faith remains a source of hope in the face of such tragedy.
"We will bring hope, we will bring peace, we will bring strength, we will bring grace in the midst of these horrific, horrific deaths," he said.
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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