TO: OUR MUSLIM BROTHERS AND SISTERS

America is not America without Muslims. As people of faith and moral conscience, we promise to defend
our Muslim brothers and sisters from attack, to speak up when they are maligned, and to support them
with our voices, our actions, and our bodies.
Why is this important?
In the famous words of German anti-Nazi Lutheran pastor and theologian Martin Niemoller:
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for meand there was no one left to speak for me.
Today, they are coming for Muslim Americans. And when they come for any member of our community,
they come for all of us.
As we watch the rising tide of anti-Muslim sentiment in our nation, as we listen to preposterous hate
speech and rhetoric from political candidates -- particularly Mr. Trump -- our hearts are cracked wide
open.
Even more alarming than the rantings of a single politician are the thousands cheering on bigotry.
People are afraid and concerned for their safety. However, responding to fear with hatred diminishes us
all - both in spirit and safety. We must not allow fear to undermine the values that stand at the very core
of who we are as faith leaders and Americans.
Every time there is a surge in anti-Muslim speech, there is a corresponding spike in acts of hate and acts
of violence against Americans who are Muslim, Sikh, Arab, and South Asian.
You are our neighbors and our doctors, our local merchants and our school board presidents. We know
you as restaurant owners and soccer coaches, as policewomen and public officials. We know you as
mothers and fathers and caregivers, and as allies and colleagues in movements for justice. You are us.
We know you as our brothers and our sisters. America is not America without you.
We are speaking out, and we have your back, friends. We commit to building a circle of protection around
you; we are standing with you.

We love you, and we pledge to show our love in every corner of our lives. May we walk hand in hand into
a future where racism, hate, and violence are relics of the past, where differences are celebrated, and our
children inherit our joy.
).uoy troppus eW( ) | .uoy yb dnats eW(
Signed:
Valarie Kaur
Linda Sarsour
Rabbi Stephanie Kolin
Rev. Dr. Peter Heltzel
Rev. Brian McLaren
Rev. Dr. Jacqui J. Lewis
Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III
Bishop Gene Robinson,
Lisa Sharon Harper
Rev. Dr. William Barber II
Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews
Rev. Dr. Raphael G. Warnock
Rabbi Sharon Brous
Sr. Simone Campbell