Separated families at the US-Mexico border were accorded a rare glimpse of hope in the first bi-national prayer led by Muslim and Christian leaders, San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

“I think it’s important for us to continue to humanize the dehumanized,” said Imam Omar Suleiman, founder, and president of Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research, who led the Muslim ceremony.

“Prayer transcends all borders and physical barriers, so it allows us to connect at a deeper level.”

Over the past decade, the Friendship Park on the US-Mexico borders has been hosting Sunday service by Rev. John Fanestil, a United Methodist minister.

The park has served as a historic meeting place on the US-Mexico border overlooking the Pacific Ocean between San Diego and Tijuana.

Interestingly, Sunday’s event was the first binational day of prayer which included Muslim, Christian, and Catholic leaders.

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Supporting Humanity

Suleiman, who traveled to San Diego from Dallas, Texas, for the event, said his primary goal was to hear from separated families and offer them hope through prayer.

He added that the prayer symbolizes a deeper message he and other religious leaders are trying to convey.

“We are all one humanity across all of these religions and just as our different religions should not place invisible barriers between us. Our nationality and documents should not place physical barriers between us,” he said.

“I think the best way to approach this is to take in the image of my surroundings, and hope that whatever God puts in our hearts and on our tongues at the moment, will be most healing for the people who come here to see their friends and family,” Suleiman said.

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Sunday’s activities concluded with a separate event called “Breaking Borders and Barriers in Our Hearts” at the First United Methodist Church of San Diego in Mission Valley.

Recently, Muslims have been campaigning to support migrants and their families.

A few months ago, American Muslims kicked off a new campaign to bail out detained migrant parents, helping to reunite their families as soon as possible.

CelebrateMercy, working alongside the National Bail Fund Network, manage the crowdfunding campaign, titled Muslims for Migrants. Campaign advisors are Imam Zaid Shakir and Imam Omar Suleiman.