Articles

A call for inter-faith reconciliation in Congress

Invitation to sign petition
Faithful America
January 4, 2007

Last month a very ugly thing happened to Keith Ellison on his way to Washington. Ellison, the newly elected member of the U.S. House of Representatives and a Muslim, became the target of some unfortunate religious bigotry by incumbent Virgil Goode (R-VA) in a letter that stated, among other things,

"I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies..." He also wrote, "When I raise my hand to take the oath on Swearing In Day, I will have the Bible in my other hand. I do not subscribe to using the Qur'an in any way."

Despite strident criticism, Goode has refused to apologize for his inflammatory remarks.

Several religious leaders, including our friend and colleague Dr. George Hunsinger of Princeton Theological Seminary, have drafted a statement calling for Mr. Goode to apologize.

Please read and sign this statement below.

On this historic day in Washington, which is bright with the promise of bipartisan cooperation, and energized by a renewed commitment to serving all Americans, let us as persons of faith and conscience stand together for our nation's ideals of diversity, religious freedom, and cooperation.

On a personal note, there is a distinct rumbling beneath my feet as I write this. I am not in DC today, but at my home office in Charlottesville, VA, the district represented by Virgil Goode. It is also the home of Thomas Jefferson, and yes, the rumbling is very likely that of Jefferson turning over in his grave. Jefferson's commitment to diversity of thought and religious liberty are legendary. Know that when you have signed this petition, I will deliver it to Mr. Goode personally, as I join with other religious leaders in inviting Mr. Goode to visit a mosque as a first step in healing this divide and looking forward together.

After you have signed the statement, please send this email to as many friends and colleagues as possible.

Blessings to you,

Vince Isner and the FaithfulAmerica.org Team

PS: You will be pleased to know that today Representative Ellison did use the Qur'an at his unofficial swearing-in: the Qur'an that belonged to Thomas Jefferson! The ground underfoot has quieted a bit...

Sign this petition:

The petition: A call for inter-faith reconciliation

As religious people from diverse traditions, we call upon Virginia Congressman Virgil Goode to re-examine his opposition to newly-elected Representative Keith Ellison, a Muslim, taking his unofficial oath of office using the Qur'an, and to apologize for his statement that, without punitive immigration reform, "there will be many more Muslims elected to office demanding the use of the Quran."

Mr. Goode insinuates that having more Muslims in the United States would be a danger to our country. As people of faith, we reject such ill-considered words.

An attack against one religion is an attack against them all. Next week, it could be Jews. Next month, it could be Christian fundamentalists or evangelicals. Right now, it is Muslims. It is they who feel targeted by repression and abuse, and they who live among us in a growing climate of fear.

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel once implored us: "No religion is an island! We are all involved with one another. Spiritual betrayal on the part of one of us affects the faith of all of us."

We hold it to be self-evident that all Americans have the right to practice their faith, whatever it may be, and that any Americans - regardless of race, color or creed - may be elected and sworn into office holding whatever book they consider sacred.

We would point out that there are some five million Muslims in the US. Many have been here for generations. They are every bit as American as Rep. Goode. Some Americans have also converted to Islam, including Rep. Ellison. We call for a renewed unity among people of conscience and of faith.

We would further point out that just as it was appropriate for the late President Ford to be honored by a profoundly Christian memorial service, so it is equally appropriate for Rep. Ellison to be sworn into office, in a private ceremony, holding the book representing his deepest religious convictions.

Above all, we urge all Americans to stand up for religious freedom and to deplore the hurtful words of any public figure who would disparage a particular religion.

In a spirit of reconciliation and peace, we invite Rep. Goode to join with us in an inter-religious delegation to visit a mosque in his district, in order that the healing may begin.

Sign this Petition! (http://ga3.org/campaign/reconcile/
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Campaign Expiration Date: January 15, 2007

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