Standing with the Muslim Community and Recommitting to Challenging Islamophobia

[highlight color=’ffffff’ background_color=’363636′]For Immediate Release[/highlight]
[highlight color=’ffffff’ background_color=’363636′]Contact: Naomi Dann | Jewish Voice for Peace | media@jvp.org[/highlight]

In light of the current climate of rampant Islamophobia, we at Jewish Voice for Peace were disgusted to learn that anti-Muslim hate groups have called for a “Global Rally for Humanity” outside at least 20 mosques and Islamic centers across the country on October 9-10. These proposed rallies–designed to “take back the Republic,” and in which some of the organizers are encouraging participants to exercise their “constitutional right” to bear arms–are part of a virulent campaign of violent and racist intimidation targeted at Muslims.

As hate crimes and bias incidents are on the rise against Muslim institutions and against individuals assumed to be Muslim, we at JVP continue to stand with the Muslim community—and with all communities that are being targeted by xenophobia and white supremacy.

As we condemn this specific act of anti-Muslim viciousness, we continue to commit ourselves to taking action to challenge state-sponsored and other acts of Islamophobia in all their manifestations, such as government surveillance of the Muslim community; anti-Muslim violence and hate speech; discrimination against Muslims in employment; policies that single out for detention and deportation those from Arab and majority-Muslim countries; and the invocation of Islamophobic tropes to drum up support for Israel’s oppressive policies against the Palestinian people.

We urge fellow Jews and all concerned people to reach out, in their local communities, in solidarity with Muslim institutions and individuals. We are heartened to see different communities condemning these horrific rallies, and we hope others will also join us in the longer-term work of challenging other ways that Islamophobia manifests itself in our communities.

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Jewish Voice for Peace is a national, grassroots organization inspired by Jewish tradition to work for a just and lasting peace according to principles of human rights, equality, and international law for all the people of Israel and Palestine. Jewish Voice for Peace has over 200,000 online supporters, over 60 chapters, a youth wing, a Rabbinic Council, an Artist Council, an Academic Advisory Council, and an Advisory Board made up of leading U.S. intellectuals and artists.

The Network Against Islamophobia (NAI), a project of Jewish Voice for Peace, provides support and resources for those interested in organizing against Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism and making the connections between Islamophobia and Israel politics. Learn more about the Network Against Islamophobia.