Jewish, Christian, and Other Faith Leaders Denounce Anti-Muslim Bigotry from US Politicians
Ahead of the 25th anniversary of September 11th, and in light of America’s 250th, a group of diverse faith leaders gathered on Capitol Hill on Wednesday September 9th to release, read aloud, and amplify an open letter, “Anti-Muslim Bigotry from Elected Officials is Dangerous and Should Not Be Tolerated: For the Love of God—and of Our Neighbor—It Must End Now” signed by over 200 faith leaders and over 70 religious and civic organizations, and counting.
“The blatantly anti-Muslim rhetoric from elected officials in recent months requires us to speak out,” the statement reads. Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ is among the institutional signatories. Individual signatories include over 40 rabbis and Jewish leaders; dozens of Protestant and Catholic clergy; Sikhs and Muslims; professors and theologians; and ten bishops, including the Catholic Archbishop of Washington, Robert Cardinal McElroy, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, and Bishop Hope Morgan Ward representing the United Methodist Church Council of Bishops. Dr. Peter Makari, as Global Relations Minister for the Middle East and Europe in Global Ministries, serves as co-chair of the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign, and is also among the signatories.
The signers acknowledge that they “may not agree on every issue, whether domestic or international. But we all know that this anti-Muslim bigotry is wrong, and we endeavor to uphold values of universal human dignity and we insist on the freedom of religion and expression for all in the U.S, including Muslims.”
The letter, which is issued by the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign, is being issued in the midst of a contentious election season, as many US faith and cultural communities are feeling the impacts of discrimination and bigotry. Aware of Islamophobia’s dangerous and even deadly consequences, the signatories express their grave concern about the recent and concerted anti-Muslim rhethoric, especially when it is cloaked in religious language.
At the public witness, those who offered remarks or read the letter included Jordan Denari Duffner, Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign; Rabbi Esther Lederman, Union for Reform Judaism & Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign Co-Chair; Sameer Hossain, Muslim Public Affairs Council; Charlene Howard, Pax Christi USA; Ben Suarato, Jewish Council for Public Affairs; Rev. Michael Neuroth, United Church of Christ; Adam Friedman, Interfaith Alliance; Becca Tyvoll, Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign; Rabbi Melanie Aron, Emerita Congregation Shir Hadash; Rev. Adam Russel Taylor, Sojourners; Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland-Tune, National Council of Churches; and Jeanné Lewis, Faith in Public Life. Other participants held signs with messages like “Faith is for hope, not for hate.”
“We hope this letter, and the wide array of signatories, send a clear message,” said Jordan Denari Duffner of the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign. “First to Muslims, that we stand with you; second, to leaders who traffic in anti-Muslim rhetoric, that we implore you to stop; and three, to our fellow people of faith—we hope will join us.”
Sameer Hossain with the Muslim Public Affairs Council added, “this is the solidarity and allyship that is very much needed by Muslims across America in this difficult moment for our community. As people try to divide us, we’ll keep working to bring people together.”
Noting the confluence of the Jewish New Year, and the 9/11 anniversary, Rabbi Esther Lederman of the Union for Reform Judaism reflected on the Torah portion for Rosh Hashanah and its implications for a moment when some Christian and Jewish leaders want to expel Muslims from the United States: “The moral claim of Torah, the moral claim of our Jewish teaching is that God was with Ishmael. And that means I am with Ishmael as well.”
After the event, several participants walked to the Senate office building and distributed the letter and signatory list to key offices. The campaign will continue to receive signatories in the coming weeks, and invites faith leaders across the nation to do the same: to share the letter with their congregations and political leaders, in the hopes of turning the page on Islamophobia, a quarter century after the 9/11 attacks.
The Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign is a national multifaith coalition of religious denominations, congregations, and faith-based groups dedicated to building a more pluralistic society by addressing the problem of anti-Muslim prejudice, discrimination and violence, among other forms of intersecting bigotry here in the U.S. Founded in 2010, primarily with Christian and Jewish leadership joining alongside Muslims, S2S holds the conviction that addressing anti-Muslim bigotry is not just a “Muslim issue” rather, all people of faith and conscience have an important role to play in shoring up the foundations of American pluralism for all. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ are founding members.