Interfaith leaders urge political parties to reject Islamophobia

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Cardinal Theodore McCarrick greets former ISNA President Imam Mohamed Magid during a press conference pushing political parties to reject election anti-Muslim bigotry at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 2016. Religion News Service photo by Aysha Khan

Aysha Khan | April 14, 2016

WASHINGTON (RNS) Muslim leaders have joined with dozens of interfaith allies in calling on the Democratic and Republican national committees to formally commit to protecting religious minorities on the campaign trail.

Previous campaigns have targeted candidates, but Shoulder to Shoulder — a coalition of 32 religious denominations and organizations, including the Islamic Society of North America and the National Council of Churches — is aiming for the party heads.

http://www.religionnews.com/2016/04/14/interfaith-leaders-urge-political-parties-to-reject-islamophobia/

“When we have people whose bigoted, hateful, Islamophobic, racist rhetoric challenges the very principles of American society, when they seek the highest office of the land, we stand sister to sister, brother to brother, shoulder to shoulder, and we say no,” said Rabbi Jonah Pesner of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in a Washington press conference on Thursday (April 14).

In letters to RNC Chairman Reince Priebus and DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the group called on them to explicitly and unambiguously commit to combating discrimination against Muslims and reinforcing religious freedom in their party platforms.

http://www.religionnews.com/2016/04/14/interfaith-leaders-urge-political-
parties-to-reject-islamophobia/