Friendship prompted faith leaders to help during hostage crisis

KELLER—A rabbi who was held hostage along with several members of his Colleyville synagogue expressed appreciation for the local clergy—Protestant, Catholic, Muslim and Jewish—who offered support during and after the 11-hour ordeal.

But local religious leaders who gathered at the Global Faith Forum at Northwood Church in Keller made it clear love for their friend “Rabbi Charlie” left them no alternative but to respond during the crisis.

Relationships matter, and they need to be developed across faith barriers before a crisis occurs, speakers told the forum, sponsored by the Multi-Faith Neighbors Network.

Love for one’s neighbor, respect for human life and opposition to injustice are shared values that transcend theological differences, Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker of Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville said.

“These universal values are not just meant for study. They are meant to be lived out,” Cytron-Walker said.

Cytron-Walker and three members of his synagogue were held hostage by Malik Faisal Akram, a British national who was demanding the release of a Pakistani Muslim woman who was jailed in nearby Fort Worth for shooting at two U.S. military officers.

One hostage was released after several hours. The remaining hostages escaped when Cytron-Walker, who had received active-shooter training, created a diversion by throwing a chair. The hostage-taking gunman was shot and killed by the FBI. Nobody else was injured.

Friends and neighbors

Good Shepherd Catholic Community in Colleyville served both as a command center where faith leaders helped FBI teams in hostage negotiations and as a place of sanctuary for family members of the hostages.

Father Michael Higgins, priest at Good Shepherd Catholic Community, noted he and Cytron-Walker had lunch two weeks before the Jan. 15 hostage standoff. So, when the crisis occurred, it seemed natural for his parish to open the doors of its facility to help, he said.

“This happened to friends. This happened to neighbors. We know each other,” Higgins said.

Bob Roberts, senior global pastor at Northwood Church in Keller, recalled he and his wife had just sat down to a meal when he learned through a series of text messages about the hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel.

Working through the Keller police chief, Roberts helped put Colleyville law enforcement in contact with Omar Suleiman, founding president of the Yaqueen Institute for Islamic Research, believing he might be able to assist in negotiations.

Roberts and Suleiman—together with Rabbi Andrew Payley from Temple Shalom in Dallas, Azhar Azeez with Richardson-based Islamic Relief USA and Howard Rosenthal, former president of the synagogue’s board—spent much of the day at Good Shepherd Catholic Community.

They assisted law enforcement, ministered to the family members of hostages and prayed together for the safety of the hostages.

“Showing up and caring” made the difference, Payley said.

“We showed up, and it was powerful,” he said.