Alderman Edward M. Burke (14th) joined fellow colleagues today in introducing a City Council resolution that won approval condemning the Reverend Robert Reynolds, the head of the Chicago Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church USA, for his recent controversial meeting with a Hezbollah commander in the Middle East.

Hezobollah is a terrorist organization which has attacked American embassies, hijacked an American airliner, kidnapped American hostages and is responsible for "innumerable assaults on innocent people," the resolution noted.

The meeting took place last month with Hezobollah terror chief Hassan Nasrallah, and has ignited widespread outrage among the Chicago Jewish community and religious leaders of all faiths. While Reverend Reynolds said the purpose of the meeting was to hear from the terrorists about their "own reality in their own words," Alderman Burke reacted in disbelief.

"I cannot fathom why a top Chicago religious leader would lend legitimacy to a terror organization which has committed so many atrocities against innocent people," Alderman Burke said...

..."All of Chicago should be aghast that Reverend Reynolds would display such a total lack of judgment," Alderman Stone added. "Perhaps he should have taken the time instead to talk to the families of those many innocent people who have been killed by Hezbollah in terror attacks so that he could hear firsthand about the pain and loss that Hezbollah’s actions have brought to their families."

Alderman Smith urged fellow council members to adopt the measure which also calls for the City of Chicago to examine "any programs of the City which provide service or financial support to the Chicago Presbytery and to reevaluate the propriety of continuing such services or financial support."