An alarming wave of Islamophobia is sweeping our nation, and we are troubled by the participation of Christians. Just last week, the president of Liberty University called for Christian students to carry guns to "end those Muslims before they walked in" and "teach them a lesson."
While anti-Muslim hate crimes intensify, prominent politicians support proposals advocating for banning Muslim entry to our country, mosque closings, registration programs, internment camps, and halting refugee resettlement.
Our diverse gifts and perspectives as a community of faith and learning lead us to a common commitment to work for justice, inclusion, and equality. We repudiate the hostility and hatred aimed at Muslims in and beyond our own communities.
We pledge to challenge Islamophobia whenever and wherever it occurs, including on our own campuses — to foster relationships with Muslims based on friendship and not fear, and to serve the common good by maintaining a firm commitment to racial and religious diversity.
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This open letter is an adaptation of a statement authored by the Just Action Group at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. The Just Action Group, which consists of people of diverse religious backgrounds, gave Sojourners its permission to modify the statement. See the original statement and a list of its endorsers.
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