Voces de la Frontera Stands in Solidarity with the Muslim Community Against Islamophobia; All People of Conscience Must Resist Hate from Trump and his Ilk

Thursday, December 9, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sam Singleton-Freeman, Voces de la Frontera, 414-469-9206, sfreeman@vdlf.org / http://vdlf.org/

Press Statement: Voces de la Frontera Stands in Solidarity with the Muslim Community Against Islamophobia, All People of Conscience Must Resist Hate from Trump and his Ilk

In response to Republican frontrunner Donald Trump’s statement calling on the federal government to ban all Muslims from entering the United States, Voces de la Frontera issued the following statement:

“Voces de la Frontera stands in solidarity with the Muslim community to condemn Islamophobia,” said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera.

“Since the Paris attacks, there have been dozens of hate crimes committed against Muslims, and Trump’s comments will encourage further violence. The Republican Party long ago should have barred hate speech from the debates and other official events. From the moment Trump began his campaign he has encouraged violence against immigrants and people of color, particularly Latinos and now members of the Islamic faith. Trump is a cheap tabloid sensation but he is pushing ideas formerly confined to the white supremacist fringe into the mainstream, and people of conscience must speak out against this hate.

“Trump’s hate speech toward Muslims is intended to promote irrational fear and racial hostility, and has no connection to protecting the public. After the terrorist Dylan Roof murdered 9 people at a church in Charleston, after Robert Louis Dear killed 3 people at a Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs, after Christopher Harper-Mercer killed 9 people at Roseburg, Oregon, after Adam Lanza killed 26 children and teachers in Newtown, after Elliot Rodger killed 6 students at University of California Santa Barbara, after James Holmes murdered 12 people at a movie theater in Aurora, after Jared Loughner killed 6 people in Tuscon, no one labeled all white men as threats to society.

“What year is this, when the frontrunner of a mainstream political party is calling for mass deportations based on ethnicity, for the closure of mosques, and for the government to register and place under surveillance millions of people based on their religious identity? Have we learned nothing from history? As far right movements gain ground around the world, we all must be prepared to resist the kind of racist, dehumanizing, and frankly fascistic ideas which are the foundation of Trump’s campaign.”

Myriam Velez, the New Sanctuary Movement of Milwaukee liaison with St. Anthony Catholic Church in Milwaukee, also contributed to the statement of solidarity. Sanctuary is a faith-based program of Voces de la Frontera. “Trump’s hate speech against people of the Muslim faith goes against our constitution, which upholds freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and liberty in general,” said Velez. “In other countries where these rights aren’t protected, someone can kill you for what you believe. But here we have this freedom, and Trump is trying to destroy this.” ###