In this powerful op-ed for CNN, congressman Keith Ellison and scholar Dalia Mogahed addresses the “Global Rally For Humanity” which despite its innocuous name, is in fact a dangerous anti-Islam rally planned for this weekend.
The authors make the vital point, “Many blame terrorism in the name of Islam for anti-Muslim sentiment, however polling data over the past 14 years suggests that fear of Muslims and Islam is linked more to election cycles than terrorist acts, especially among Republicans. For example, the percentage of Americans who believe there is a link between Islam and violence did not change after the Boston bombing in 2013. That number, however, rose 10 percentage points among Republicans during the 2008 and 2012 election cycles.”
The authors continue, “No matter which group is targeted for hate — blacks, Jews or gays — fear mongering threatens our democracy that celebrates differences and a system of justice that strives for equality under the law.”
