Staff Writer

Fighting domestic violence is on the agenda of many religious organizations. But with so many other domestic policy issues in the lineup, it "does not always rank high enough," says Jewish Women's International executive director Lori Weinstein.

By launching the Interfaith Domestic Violence Coalition, JWI is hoping to change that.

"By coming together and being a visible presence ... it can't help but lift the profile" of domestic violence as an issue, said Weinstein. And by providing regular briefings and educational materials to its individual members, the coalition will help them make fighting domestic violence a higher priority within their own organizations ‹ some of which focus on a multitude of policy questions.

The coalition so far includes 21 national and community organizations representing a variety of faith groups, from the Islamic Social Services Association and Jewish Council for Public Affairs to the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists, Mennonite Central Committee and Presbyterian Health Education and Welfare Association.

The coalition, which began monthly meetings last summer, had its kick-off event on Wednesday of last week. The Capitol Hill briefing, "Policy & Persuasion: How Faith-Based Communities Can Work Together to Advance Domestic Violence Laws," drew more than 100 people and featured speeches from Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas), both former prosecutors.

The faith community, Klobuchar said, "has a powerful moral voice on behalf of victims, survivors and their families at the policy level."

Poe said that religious communities play an important role in combating domestic violence, noting that the first person in whom a victim often confides is "a person of similar faith who can provide support and comfort."

The coalition will focus its energy on policy and legislation at the federal level, said Weinstein. Its initial priority will be on fully funding the Violence Against Women Act ‹ the president's budget proposes a $120 million cut ‹ as well as raising the spending cap on the Victims of Crime Act Fund, which provides monies for crime victim compensation funds and victim assistance grants.

JWI had been thinking about forming such a group for at least the last five years, according to Weinstein, and had noticed that its conferences on domestic violence in the Jewish community often drew attendees from other faith communities curious to see JWI's work on the issue. As a grassroots religious group with domestic violence as its primary focus, Weinstein said the D.C.-based nonprofit was uniquely positioned to put together a coalition.

In addition to educating others on domestic violence, members take some time during their monthly meetings "learning from each other" about their religious traditions, Weinstein said.

"It's a very collaborative and organic process," she said. "It will be our privilege to help facilitate this."

Coalition members are thankful that JWI took the initiative.

"It gives faith communities an infrastructure," said Sharon O'Brien, president of the Interfaith Community Against Domestic Violence in Montgomery County.

Noting that she deals with multiple issues, Linda Bales, program director of the Louise and Hugh Moore Population Project at the General Board of Church and Society for the United Methodist Church, said being part of a coalition whose "sole focus" is domestic violence will bring that problem to the fore.

"Salma Abugideiri, co-director of the Peaceful Families Project, an organization devoted to increasing education and awareness of domestic violence in the Muslim community, sees strength in numbers. "We have more power as a larger group," she said.

Abugideiri said that many in her faith community are "open and receptive" to her group's work, while acknowledging that there are "cultural barriers and obstacles" they must overcome ‹ much more among recent Muslim immigrants than American-born Muslims, she said.

"There is certainly denial, but all faith communities are struggling with denial," she said. With attention coming to the problem within the Muslim community only in the past 10 to 15 years, domestic violence is a relatively new issue, she said.

While numerous secular organizations work against domestic violence, coalition members say religious involvement is particularly important.

"Most faith communities think domestic violence doesn't happen in their community," said O'Brien. "Joining forces allows us to reflect the reality that domestic abuse and violence happens in every faith community. ... Domestic violence doesn't discriminate. We, as people of faith, want it to stop."