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Reps. Beyer, Kaptur, Holmes-Norton, Crowley, McCollum,
Honda, Ellison, Carson Lead Group of 71 House Democrats to
Introduce Legislation Condemning Anti-Muslim Bigotry
Special to The Truth
Following weeks of anti-Muslim bigotry and acts of hatred,
Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Eleanor
Holmes-Norton (D-DC), Joe Crowley (D-NY), Betty McCollum
(D-MN), Mike Honda (D-CA), Keith Ellison (D-MN), and Andre
Carson (D-IN), along with 63 original cosponsors, introduced
legislation condemning violence, bigotry, and hateful
rhetoric towards Muslim-Americans.
“We must show that we will not tolerate this anti-Muslim
discrimination and that those who propagate it do not
represent the melting-pot America that we celebrate,” said
Rep. Beyer. “These harmful words eventually lead to the
very acts of violence many came to our country to escape in
the first place. It’s time Congress stood up to condemn
these attacks which run contrary to American values.”
“America’s highest ideals include our protections for
religious liberty and the celebration of our differences. It
is a mistake to lump millions of peaceful, liberty-loving
Muslim Americans together with the brutal zealots who are
working continuously to hijack their faith,” said Rep.
Kaptur. “Anti-Muslim speeches and statements only serve to
divide us and pit Americans against one another. Bigotry and
the violence it perpetrates are not worthy of the legacy of
generations who have fought and sacrificed to make America
the nation that it is today.”
“As we see many Americans expressing their fears, their
leaders at every level have a special obligation to lead,”
Congresswoman Norton said. “The concerns of the American
people about terrorism in civil society after Paris and San
Bernardino are understandable, but embracing Islamophobia as
a way to cope with those fears is not only unacceptable, but
dangerous. The main purpose of terrorism is to provoke
division. Terrorists lose when, instead, we embrace our
Muslim brothers and sisters.”
"The despicable rhetoric and violence on American Muslims is
reprehensible and goes against everything this country
stands for. Whether it’s a bomb threat on a mosque, a child
bullied on a bus, or a slur painted on a building, hate is
hate. And, each and every one of us has a duty as an
American to speak out against discrimination and
intolerance," said Rep. Joe Crowley, vice chairman of the
Democratic Caucus. "I'm proud to join Congressman Beyer and
my colleagues in introducing this resolution that sends a
powerful message that the Congress stands behind our Muslim
American communities and firmly against hate and
intolerance."
“Muslim Americans are our friends, neighbors and
colleagues. Anti-Muslim rhetoric from our nation’s
political candidates has damaging consequences for the lives
of Muslim Americans,” said Rep. McCollum. “As elected
officials, we must work to foster respect, civility and
dignity towards all Americans and ensure that no citizen of
our nation is persecuted or targeted because of their
religious beliefs.”
“We must do everything we can to fight terrorism on all
fronts, but we must take care not to give into bigotry, hate
speech or tolerate hate crimes. Hateful rhetoric has real
consequences. Every day, Muslim students, leaders and
community members are threatened with violence—and some have
been the victims of hate crimes,” said Rep. Honda. “Our
country is better than this; we are a multiethnic,
multi-religious, multicultural nation. Our diversity is what
gives us strength—together with our respect for the
Constitution, rule of law and the ideals of freedom that
unites us. It is the responsibility of all to reject
discrimination. I urge my colleagues in the House to support
this resolution.”
“The United States was built by the belief in liberty,
freedom, and equality for every person. These are the values
we hold most dear – the truths we hold to be self-evident.
When elected officials and political leaders build their
platforms on hatred and bigotry, they do so at our country’s
expense,” said Rep. Keith Ellison. “Their rhetoric is not
merely ignorant – it’s dangerous. And it is fundamentally
un-American. Scapegoating a religious community shouldn’t be
part of a candidate’s stump speech. Not in this country.
This bill is a reminder to Americans of all faiths: the
demagogues do not speak for everyone. That is not who we
are.”
“The First Amendment safeguards our freedom to practice our
faiths freely, but it does not give any person the right to
cite religion in order to justify intolerance toward their
fellow Americans,” said Rep. André Carson. “This holds true
whether the victim of such intolerance is gay or straight,
black or white, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or the member of
any group. Discrimination in any form is never acceptable
anywhere in our country, which is why I am proud to help
introduce this resolution which will help bring more
attention to the harmful and ignorant acts that have been
directed at Muslim Americans for far too long.”
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Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA)
Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-DC)
Joe Crowley (D-NY)
Betty McCollum (D-MN)
Keith Ellison (D-MN)
Andre Carson (D-IN) |
