America is not America without Muslims. As people of faith and moral conscience, we promise to defend our Muslim brothers and sisters from attack, to speak up when they are maligned, and to support them with our voices, our actions, and our bodies.

In the famous words of German anti-Nazi Lutheran pastor and theologian Martin Niemoller:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Today, they are coming for Muslim Americans. And when they come for any member of our community, they come for all of us.

As we watch the rising tide of anti-Muslim sentiment in our nation, as we listen to preposterous hate speech and rhetoric from political candidates -- particularly Mr. Trump -- our hearts are cracked wide open.

Even more alarming than the rantings of a single politician are the thousands cheering on bigotry.

People are afraid and concerned for their safety. However, responding to fear with hatred diminishes us all - both in spirit and safety. We must not allow fear to undermine the values that stand at the very core of who we are as faith leaders and Americans.

Every time there is a surge in anti-Muslim speech, there is a corresponding spike in acts of hate and acts of violence against Americans who are Muslim, Sikh, Arab, and South Asian.

You are our neighbors and our doctors, our local merchants and our school board presidents. We know you as restaurant owners and soccer coaches, as policewomen and public officials. We know you as mothers and fathers and caregivers, and as allies and colleagues in movements for justice. You are us.

We know you as our brothers and our sisters. America is not America without you.

We are speaking out, and we have your back, friends. We commit to building a circle of protection around you; we are standing with you.

We love you, and we pledge to show our love in every corner of our lives. May we walk hand in hand into a future where racism, hate, and violence are relics of the past, where differences are celebrated, and our children inherit our joy.

نحن نقف بجانبكم (We stand by you.) | نحن نساندكم (We support you.)

Signed:

Valarie Kaur

Linda Sarsour

Rabbi Stephanie Kolin

Rev. Dr. Peter Heltzel

Rev. Brian McLaren

Rev. Dr. Jacqui J. Lewis

Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III

Bishop Gene Robinson,

Lisa Sharon Harper

Rev. Dr. William Barber II

Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews

Rev. Dr. Raphael G. Warnock

Rabbi Sharon Brous

Sr. Simone Campbell