On September 7, 2010 over forty national religious leaders held an emergency interfaith summit to discuss what interfaith allies could do to challenge the rise in anti-Muslim rhetoric and violence in the U.S. In the months that followed, national faith groups joined together to form the Shoulder to Shoulder campaign and equip local faith communites across the country.
Today the Shoulder to Shoulder brings together people of faith committed to ending discrimination and violence against Muslims in the United States by equipping, connecting, and mobilizing faith leaders to effectively take action. NRCAT is an active member of Shoulder to Shoulder and we invite you to join our work.
One critical factor that led to the U.S. government’s use of torture after September 11, 2001 was bigotry against Muslims. The fact that most of the people detained after September 11 were Muslim allowed broader U.S. society to view Muslims as “other” and to accept policy changes that allowed torture. Therefore, reducing anti-Muslim bigotry helps ensure that the dignity of each person is respected and that torture is prohibited without exception.
Why is the National Religious Campaign Against Torture involved in efforts to reduce anti-Muslim sentiment? In September 2010, the NRCAT Board of Directors issued this statement.
STATEMENT ON ANTI-MUSLIM DISCRIMINATION
BY THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE
NATIONAL RELIGIOUS CAMPAIGN AGAINST TORTURE
The National Religious Campaign Against Torture is deeply concerned about the growing anti-Muslim rhetoric and actions emerging in the United States in the past few months. While anti-Muslim sentiments, as misguided as they are, are not new to our country, they have become more common, seemingly more accepted, and, thus, more dangerous.
As a multi-faith organization with members from almost all the major faith groups in the United States, including major Muslim organizations, we at NRCAT are deeply concerned about this development both for the consequences to our country as a whole and to our Muslim friends and colleagues.
Our study of the use of torture has shown us that in order for a human being to engage in the immoral act of torturing another human being, the torturer has to see the tortured as "the other" -- not human, not worthy of inherent dignity and respect. Many of the comments circulating in the media against Muslims reflect this attitude -- that Muslims are not "us", they are "them". Once that attitude takes hold, religious values about the dignity of human beings and the importance of the human community dissipate and egregious acts, such as torture, can take place.
People of all religions, including Christians, Jews, Muslims, Baha’is, Sikhs, Hindus and Buddhists should be able to live and flourish in the United States. We are a country founded on religious freedom. It's what makes us great; it's what stokes our democracy; it's what helps keep us humane.
We at NRCAT call for the immediate end to all anti-Muslim rhetoric and acts. We also call on all people of good will to make every effort to bring people of faith together, to work for the common good, and to end torture once and for all.
Issued September 7, 2010. See press release.