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OPW Signs on to Letter Asking Congress to Reject Hatred and Discrimination

Dear Representative/Senator,

Anti-Muslim vitriol in public discourse has increased dramatically, fed by inflammatory statements and support for discriminatory policies. Among the most dangerous voices fueling this religious bigotry is ACT for America, a national organization that promotes anti-Muslim rhetoric and is hosting its annual conference in Crystal City, Virginia, next week. We write, respectfully, to urge you not to legitimize ACT’s hate by attending its conference.

Six Members of Congress canceled their appearance at ACT’s conference last year, likely after learning of the group’s extremist and bigoted views. This represented over a third of the Members of Congress ACT had scheduled to speak.

ACT for America is one of the largest and most aggressive anti-Muslim grassroots organizations in the country. For years, ACT’s founder Brigitte Gabriel has vilified Muslims and Islam and espoused racist and xenophobic views, painting an inaccurate and harmful picture of Muslims in society. For example, she has stated that “every practicing Muslim is a radical Muslim” and that Muslims are a “natural threat to civilized people of the world, particularly Western society.”

Both Gabriel and ACT for America have a long history of promoting policies at the federal and state levels intended to manufacture fear of Muslims and promote the false idea of Muslims as a threat to the United States. ACT for America has long played a significant role in driving the current feverish climate of anti- Muslim hate and supported discriminatory policies aimed at vilifying Muslims, which often have the effect of making it harder for Muslims to practice their faith. The group’s annual convening galvanizes their members and emboldens their anti-Muslim views and activism.

This year, ACT organized anti-Muslim rallies across the country on June 10 which attracted supporters ranging from far-right, anti-government groups to white nationalist and neo-Nazi groups.

We are deeply disturbed by ACT for America’s anti-Muslim agenda and its repercussions for the rights and safety of all Americans. The organization’s speech and viewpoints are protected by the Constitution, but that does not mean we should stay silent in the face of intolerance and bigotry. The Constitution also protects the rights of people of all faiths to practice their religion—or no religion. Yet ACT consistently takes action built around suppressing this Constitutional right for Muslims.

As civil rights, human rights, and advocacy organizations, we stand firmly against hate and discriminatory policies, like those pushed by ACT for America. In the face of this, we call on all of our elected leaders to unequivocally reject hatred and discrimination. We hope you will stand in support of religious liberty for all and choose not to attend ACT for America’s National Conference and Legislative Briefing as it would only serve to legitimize their agenda. We also encourage you to release a public statement denouncing anti- Muslim bigotry and the discriminatory policies promoted by ACT for America. Please contact Manar Waheed with the American Civil Liberties Union at mwaheed@aclu.org or Lindsay Schubiner with the Center for New Community at advocacy@newcomm.org with any questions or to discuss this further.

Thank you in advance for taking a stand against bigotry and hate. Sincerely,

America's Voice Education Fund

American Civil Liberties Union

American Muslim Advisory Council

American Muslim Health Professionals

American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)

Americans United for Separation of Church and State

Anti-Defamation League

Arab American Institute

Arkansas United Community Coalition

Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles

Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA)

Bend the Arc Jewish Action

Center for New Community

Council on American-Islamic Relations

Courage Campaign

CREDO

Emgage

Emgage Action

Emgage Foundation

Franciscan Action Network

Global Progressive Hub

Human Rights First

Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

Indivisible Rapid City

Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)

Jews Say No!

Lambda Legal

MPower Change

Muslim Advocates

NAACP

National Center for Transgender Equality

National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA)

National Council of Jewish Women

National Education Association

National Immigration Law Center

National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund

National Organization for Women

National Partnership for New Americans

National Religious Campaign Against Torture

Network Against Islamophobia, JVP

NIAC Action

OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates

Poligon Education Fund

Presbyterian Church (USA)

Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

Services, Immigrant Rights, and Education Network (SIREN)

Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign

South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT)

South Dakota Voices for Peace

Southern Poverty Law Center

The Advocates for Human Rights

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

The Revolutionary Love Project

Unitarian Universalist Association

Unitarian Universalist Service Committee

United We Dream

Veterans for American Ideals

We Belong Together

Yemen Peace Project

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