clinton clark islamophobia letter

December  9,  2015    Hillary  for  America    Post  Office  Box  5256    New  York,  NY  10185-­5256    Dear  Secretary  Clinton:      National  leaders  must  actively  disavow  the  dangerous  anti-­Muslim  fearmongering  that  has  reached  a  fever  pitch  in  recent  days.  Such  phobia  goes  against  the  very  grain  of  American  values  of  inclusion,  diversity,  and  freedom  of  religion,  and  puts  all  of  us  at  greater  risk.  We  appreciate  that  you  forcefully  condemned  the  proposal  put  forward  by  Donald  Trump  to  ban  any  Muslims  from  entering  the  United  States  —  but  we  are  concerned  that  your  campaign  is  sending  mixed  messages  when  it  comes  to  Islamophobia.    Just  months  ago,  one  of  your  prominent  campaign  surrogates,  Gen.  Wesley  Clark,  called  for  the  internment  of  some  American  Muslims.  We  call  on  you  to  make  clear  that  you  find  such  extreme  proposals  unacceptable  by  immediately  removing  Gen.  Clark  from  his  role  as  a  surrogate  for  your  campaign.    This  type  of  hateful  and  reckless  rhetoric  —  spread  mainly  by  the  GOP  —  has  direct  and  predictable  effects.  This  week,  in  New  York  City  alone,  a  shop  owner  was  brutally  beaten  by  a  man  claiming  he  wanted  to  “kill  all  Muslims,”  and  sixth-­grade  girl  was  attacked  by  classmates  who  tore  at  her  hijab  and  called  her  “ISIS.”  These  are  just  the  latest  in  a  series  of  hate  crimes  against  Muslims  that  have  been  on  the  rise  since  the  Paris  attacks  three  weeks  ago.      At  a  time  when  American  Muslims  are  facing  a  surge  in  violent  hate  crimes,  we  are  asking  you  to  hold  your  own  campaign  accountable.      We  are  not  aware  of  any  statement  from  your  campaign  condemning  Gen.  Clark’s  frightening  remarks.  Furthermore,  Gen.  Clark  has  continued  to  serve  as  your  surrogate  in  Iowa.  Just  four  days  after  the  attacks  in  Paris,  which  unleashed  a  new  round  of  Islamophobia  here  at  home,  you  lauded  Gen.  Clark’s  endorsement  on  your  Facebook  page  and  in  an  email  to  your  supporters.      When  Roanoke,  Virginia  Mayor  David  Bowers  released  a  statement  suspending  Syrian  refugee  resettlement  in  the  area,  and  favorably  likened  his  proposal  to  the  internment  of  Japanese-­Americans  during  World  War  II,  your  campaign  did  the  right  thing  at  the  time  by  immediately  removing  Mayor  Bowers  from  your  Virginia  Leadership  Council.  Now  we  call  on  you  to  similarly  disassociate  yourself  from  Gen.  Clark.      We  write  just  days  after  the  anniversary  of  the  attack  on  Pearl  Harbor,  mindful  of  the  moral  stain  on  our  nation  that  is  the  history  of  Japanese-­American  internment  camps,  to  insist  that  you  

demonstrate  your  willingness  to  lead  by  example.  Mr.  Trump  recently  refused  to  say  whether  he  

would  have  created  Japanese  internment  camps  during  World  War  II.  Anything  less  than  a  

crystal  clear  contrast  with  such  fear-­mongering  will  only  fuel  more  hate  crimes  against  American  

Muslims.    

We  call  upon  you  as  the  Democratic  frontrunner  to  not  only  decry  dangerous  rhetoric,  but  to  

surround  yourself  with  advisors  who  respect  the  basic  constitutional  rights  of  every  American  

and  who  believe  that  there  is  no  place  for  bigotry  in  national  leadership.  

Please  immediately  remove  Gen.  Clark  from  his  role  in  your  campaign,  and  promise  to  do  the  

same  with  any  campaign  surrogates  caught  aiding  and  abetting  the  dangerous  anti-­Muslim  mob  

mentality  fostered  by  your  opponents.  

Respectfully,  and  on  behalf  of  our  members,  

CREDO  Action  

ColorOfChange.org  

MPower  Change  

Emerge  USA  

Bend  the  Arc  

Demand  Progress  

American  Family  Voices  

We  Act  Radio  

Presente.org  

Islamic  Society  of  Boston  Cultural  Center  

Muslim  American  Society  of  Boston