FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 14, 2016

CONTACT: T.C. Morrow, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 202-547-1920

Calling on Political Parties to Address Anti-Muslim Bigotry - Remarks by Rev. Ron Stief

Washington, DC - Today the Shoulder-to-Shoulder: Standing with American Muslims; Upholding American Values campaign called on the Republican and Democratic parties to take a forceful stand against anti-Muslim bigotry, and discrimination against all religious minorities, by adding explicit language to their party platforms at the upcoming nominating conventions. Rev. Ron Stief, chair of the executive committee of Shoulder to Shoulder and executive director of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, spoke from the following prepared remarks during a press conference at the National Press Club:

Today, interfaith leaders have spoken eloquently about the rise of anti-Muslim sentiment and the closing off of religious freedoms that is being felt as candidates for public office express this sentiment. We are here to say that standing Shoulder to Shoulder means that if you attack or speak ill or threaten any aspect of the religious freedoms enjoyed by any one of us, you will have to take us all on.

Shoulder to Shoulder, a 32-member coalition of faith organizations and denominational bodies representing tens of millions of faith members in the U.S., has sent a letter to the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee calling on each to reject anti-Muslim bigotry, and bigotry of any kind, in their national party platforms. Specifically, we have asked them to make "an explicit commitment to work against anti-Muslim bigotry and discrimination against religious minorities in the United States."

The letter, addressed to RNC Chairman Reince Priebus and DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, states clearly something faith leaders know very well – that "discriminatory speech undermines the very ideals of religious freedom and pluralism that each and every one of our religious communities relies upon to thrive in our democracy."

This is a truly non-partisan request. We applaud Speaker Paul Ryan, Governor Jeb Bush, and many others who have clearly and forcefully articulated the importance that their party leadership curb hate speech in this election. A clear rejection of bigotry in both party platforms will signal that the political parties are aware of the damage bigoted speech does both within the United States and with our global partners. It is also likely that bigoted speech will do more to drive away, rather than attract, voters to the political party using it. It is the job of political parties to patrol their own neighborhoods – the speech that comes from candidates, party surrogates, delegates, and the party itself. They should be patrolling their own neighborhoods rather than falling prey to suggestions that Muslim neighborhoods should be patrolled.

Faith leaders stand ready to help the platform committees of each party craft religious freedom language that stands against religious bigotry and helps to build a stronger and more free America.

Thank you.

View the letters to the parties: letter to the RNC at http://www.nrcat.org/storage/documents/s2s-letter-to-rnc-041416.pdf and letter to the DNC at http://www.nrcat.org/storage/documents/s2s-letter-to-dnc-041416.pdf

###