Dear Fellow Supporters of Religious Freedom,
It’s been an amazing two weeks since we launched Religious Freedom USA. The Landmark Commission unanimously voted to reject landmark status, removing the last legal hurdle for the project to move forward. Soon after, Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave a speech defining and defending New York’s long tradition of religious freedom. Religious leaders like Reverend Jim Wallis and Rabbi David Saperstein have spoken out in support of Park51, specifically because of what it means for religious freedom in America.
At RFUSA, we’ve gotten thousands of hits on the blog, hundreds of signatures on the RFUSA petition, and received support videos from various religious, interfaith, and seminary leaders. Also, we have also received a great deal of support from both our organizational partners, as well as our Advisory Board, whose members are listed below.
Behind the issue of Park51 lies the greater question: Will our fears cause us to betray our ideals of religious freedom, or will Muslim Americans be respected as a part of the social fabric of this great nation? To this end, our mission of speaking to fear with freedom is far from accomplished.
We invite you to help us by spreading our message to your friends, asking them to sign the petition and make a support video. You can join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Also, we have several internships open at RFUSA; please post the link on list-serves or forward it along.
Please talk to your friends and family about this vital issue. Raising awareness is about changing the conversation, and we challenge you to engage in meaningful discourse on the topic of religious freedom.
Best Regards,
Frank Fredericks and Joshua Stanton
Tags: cordoba house, ground zero mosque, news, park51
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