Help the National Religious Coalition Against Torture and “Shoulder-to-Shoulder: Standing with American Muslims; Upholding American Values,” a coalition of 26 religious organizations, are compiling information on groups working to address anti-Muslim sentiment! The info will go online, so that people can know about efforts to end anti-Muslim sentiment in their communities or give ideas to start a project of their own.
Involved with ending anti-Muslim sentiment? Tell NRCAT about it!
Know someone who’s involved? Recommend them here!
Background Information
One critical factor that led to the U.S. government’s use of torture in the last decade was bigotry against Muslims after September 11, 2001. The fact that most of the people detained after September 11 were Muslim allowed our society to view them as “other” and to accept policy changes that allowed torture. Therefore, reducing anti-Muslim sentiment helps ensure that the dignity of each person is respected and that torture is prohibited without exception.
In the summer of 2010, the strength of the prejudice against Muslims reached a frightening level with the threatened burning of the Qur’an and the controversy over building a mosque a few blocks from ground zero in New York City. On September 7, 2010, approximately 40 senior religious leaders convened at the National Press Club in Washington, DC for an emergency interfaith summit to promote peace and unity and to counteract the recent increase in anti-Muslim sentiment and rhetoric. They produced a powerful joint statement against anti-Muslim sentiment and held a press conference that was broadcast live by C-SPAN and CNN, produced 200 press stories, and was attended by White House staff.
As a result of the momentum from this summit, in November 2010, 26 national, religious organizations launched a campaign to continue their efforts to end anti-Muslim sentiment. The campaign, called “Shoulder-to-Shoulder: Standing with American Muslims; Upholding American Values” seeks to amplify the voice of freedom and peace to prevent and end anti-Muslim sentiment. The National Religious Campaign Against Torture is a very active member of Shoulder-to-Shoulder.