Shoulder to Shoulder, a national multifaith coalition, offers comments on Rep. Boebert’s recent dangerous rhetoric

For Immediate Release

December 3, 2021

CONTACT: Nina M. Fernando, Nina.Fernando@s2scampaign.org, 202–599–8254

Nina M. Fernando, Executive Director of Shoulder to Shoulder commented,

Islamophobia and anti-Muslim discrimination is not a joke; it is dangerous and it can be deadly. Fueling fear and spreading hate and misinformation about Islam and Muslims can and must be condemned by our nation’s leadership as a bipartisan effort. Disagreeing politically does not give us license to dehumanize one another.

After learning about the shameful Islamophobic remarks made by Congresswoman Lauren Boebert about Congresswoman Ilhan Omar over the Thanksgiving break, The Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign: Standing with American Muslim, Advancing American Ideals made our voice clear that Anti-Muslim discrimination is not a joke. It’s not funny when politicians use their platforms and influence to spread hate and discrimination against Muslims. This harms our communities and only leads to more violence. We can and must hold our elected officials accountable. It is their duty to represent us all, and that means treating us all with dignity and respect, regardless of our faith or background. A U.S. politician's rhetoric and decorum models what is acceptable, and this is one of many examples where we have fallen woefully short.

Shoulder to Shoulder is a national multifaith coalition-based campaign of religious denominations and faith-based organizations who are committed to addressing, countering, and preventing anti-Muslim discrimination in the United States of America. We believe that faith leaders and people of faith, both religious and non-religious, are necessary, strategic, and effective in shaping our nation toward a greater vision — where all people, no matter their religious or cultural background, are treated with fairness, dignity, and respect. This greater vision of society can and must also be modeled by our elected leaders and Rep. Boebert’s hurtful comments are unacceptable. As our country prepares for midterm elections in an already volatile political and social atmosphere, we know from history that these types of comments and violence can escalate to dangerous levels. We have a moral responsibility to hold our elected officials accountable and ensure this type of hateful rhetoric is condemned by our nation’s leadership; American Muslim lives, our lives, and the lives of our children depend on it.

Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign C-Chair, Kathryn M. Lohre of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America writes,

Any form of religious bigotry challenges our deeply held American ideals of liberty and justice. As faith leaders, our calling is to work toward healing the divides among us, and in our broader society. This includes holding our elected leaders accountable to civil and dignified discourse. Because I am a Christian, I stand with American Muslims against the kind of bigotry propagated by Rep. Boebert.

Rabbi Burton L. Visotzky of the Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue at Jewish Theological Seminary, comments,

An attack on Islam is an attack on all religions. Our constitutional guarantee of religious freedom directly speaks of Congress and its role in avoiding preference of one religion over any other. Shame on any member of Congress who demeans Islam. This bias must be strongly condemned on a bi-partisan basis.

Rabbi Esther Lederman of Union for Reform Judaism who serves as campaign Co-Chair of Shoulder to Shoulder writes,

As a Jew and a rabbi, I stand as an ally to my Muslim siblings and condemn the Islamaphobia so brazenly represented in Rep. Boebert’s comments. It is a disgrace to hear attacks like these in the hallowed halls of Congress. I refuse to be silent in response to this hatred.

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Founded in 2010, The Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign is an interfaith coalition of local, regional, and national organizations who are committed to educating, equipping, and mobilizing faith communities to end anti-Muslim bigotry in the United States. https://www.shouldertoshouldercampaign.org/

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