By Rivera Sun
At this time, it has become imperative for citizens to speak up and stand up against the rise of Islamophobia, xenophobia, racism, and the politics of hatred. When this pledge from Showing Up For Racial Justice came to my attention, I did not hesitate to sign it.
I want to be known as a human being courageous enough to speak truth to power and meet unwarranted hatred with organized love. Our shared humanity calls us to this. I want to know about and assist the efforts of my fellow American citizens who reject the politics of hate and the practices of fear.
These are not times for passivity or silence. Donald Trump has publicly called for a registry of Muslims akin to the registry of Jews that presaged the yellow stars and concentration camps. We know how this story goes.
Already, in Texas, the politics of hate and the propaganda of fear have caused the KKK and other armed vigilante hate groups to threaten, intimidate, and demonstrate with guns outside of mosques and Islamic Centers. Christians and citizens of conscience are rising in peaceful, nonviolent counter-demonstrations to stop this.
These are not times to merely speak hollow words with no commitment to action behind them. We who believe in peace must organize tangible resistance to the misinformation and bigotry that give rise to violence and war. Already, our nation is engaged in military actions that promise only further cycles of violence, terrorism, and endless war.
By taking this pledge, I am committing to being a part of a movement that has had its parallel in every chapter of human history. In the era of Nazi Germany, this pledge would be signed by Sophie Scholl and the members of the White Rose, the Rosenstrausse women of Berlin who demanded the release of their Jewish husbands, the Danes who saved 7,220 Jews from death, André and Magda Trocmé and the citizens of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon who saved 3,500 Jews during the occupation of France.
These are times to search your soul and look for courage. This pledge is one way to demonstrate that you have found both.Φ
Author/Activist Rivera Sun, syndicated by PeaceVoice, is the author of The Dandelion Insurrection and other books, and the co-founder of the Love-In-Action Network.