Oregon Celebrates Diversity and Inclusion and Stands Against Anti-Muslim Rallies and Events
- Details
- Written by Kayse Jama, Center for Intercultural Organizing Kayse Jama, Center for Intercultural Organizing
- Published: 09 October 2015 09 October 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 7, 2015
Contacts: Portland
Kayse Jama, Center for Intercultural Organizing, 503-913-5154 , This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Jan Elfers,Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, 503-221-1054 , This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Contacts: Medford
Michelle Glass, Rogue Valley Oregon Action, 541-292-8201, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Rev. Caren Caldwell, Medford United Church of Christ, 541-621-0663, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Oregon Celebrates Diversity and Inclusion and Stands Against Anti-Muslim Rallies and Events
We proudly sign on to this statement in opposition to upcoming anti-Muslim events and in support of and in solidarity with Muslim communities across the State of Oregon.
A group calling itself “Global Rally for Humanity” is organizing anti-Muslim rallies across the country on October 9 and 10, 2015. In some states, the organizers of the events are encouraging attendees to openly carry guns. Their message is one of violence, racism and hate. The events are based on anti-Muslim and anti-refugee narratives.
In Oregon, a rally is planned in Medford in front of the Medford Police Department. Political leaders, human rights groups, diverse religious leaders of every faith, and community organizations condemn these malicious attacks on the Muslim communities. These rallies and events undermine our core values as an inclusive and just society. They threaten human rights, dignity and equality for all. They are contrary to democratic American values.
In addition, we are compelled to speak out against these Islamophobic events for a number of pressing current reasons:
· Oregon and our nation are once again grieving the senseless killing of innocent people following the shooting at Umpqua Community College. Any fueling of the philosophy of violence is unconscionable.
· We are also besieged by images of refugees, many of whom are children, fleeing war-torn nations. We see overcrowded refugee camps where families are starving, dead children washed ashore, and other horrific situations. As a nation with such vast resources, we should be reaching out to re-settle and welcome these individuals, not making them into villains.