In a recent letter to Congress, Gerry Lee of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns (MOGC) and more than 400 religious leaders called on the United States to welcome Syrian refugees from all faith traditions. The International Immigration Coalition delivered the letter to members of the Senate and House in advance of hearings and discussions around refugee resettlement and Syrian refugees. Read the letter in its entirety below; scroll down to the bottom of the page to download a PDF copy with complete list of signatories.
October 1, 2015
Dear Honorable Members of the United States Congress,
As religious leaders from a variety of backgrounds, we are called by our sacred texts and faith traditions to love our neighbor, accompany the vulnerable, and welcome the sojourner. War, conflict and persecution have forced people to leave their homes, creating more refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced people than at any other time in history. According to a recent United Nations report, 60 million people are currently displaced – 1 in every 122 people on earth.
This nation has an urgent moral responsibility to receive refugees and asylum seekers who are in dire need of safety. Today, with more than four million Syrian refugees fleeing violence and persecution, the United States has an ethical obligation as a world leader to reduce this suffering and generously welcome Syrian refugees into our country. This is why we are calling on the Obama Administration and U.S. Congress to show bold leadership and increase the number of Syrians refugees resettled in the United States, in addition to the recently announced global resettlement admission numbers. The United States has a rich history as a leader in refugee resettlement, with significant precedent, including after World War II and after the fall of Saigon.
The U.S. Refugee Resettlement program has been and should remain open to those of any religious tradition who face persecution on account of the reasons enumerated under U.S. law. We write today to specifically state opposition to any legislation or proposal that would prevent Muslim refugees and individuals from other faiths from accessing the U.S. refugee resettlement program. Proposals that would have the U.S. State Department perform a religious litmus test on people fleeing persecution fly in the face of the very principles this nation was built upon, contradict the legacy of leadership our country has historically demonstrated, and dishonor our shared humanity.
As the United States joins the world in seeking ways to meaningfully respond to the Syrian refugee crisis, it is paramount that the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) stay true to its mandate to resettle the most vulnerable. Vulnerable individuals from a host of religions, ethnicities and backgrounds have been and should continue to be resettled in the United States.
Together, representing our various faiths, we decry derogatory language that has been used about our Muslim friends and neighbors. Inflammatory rhetoric has no place in our response to this humanitarian crisis. We ask our elected officials and candidates for office to recognize that new Americans of all faiths and backgrounds contribute to our economy, our community, and our congregations. Refugees are an asset to this country. They are powerful ambassadors of the American Dream and our nation’s founding principles of equal opportunity, religious freedom, and liberty and justice for all.
As people of faith, our values call us to welcome the stranger, love our neighbor, and stand with the vulnerable, regardless of their religion. We pray that in your discernment, compassion for the plight of refugees will touch your hearts. We urge you to be bold in choosing moral, just policies that provide refuge for vulnerable individuals seeking protection.
Sincerely,
National and International Leaders:
The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Rev. Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
The Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ
Rev. A. Roy Medley, General Secretary, American Baptist Churches and Chair, National Council of Churches
Bishop Warner H Brown, Jr, President of the Council of Bishops, The United Methodist Church and Resident Bishop, The San Francisco Area
The Reverend George Francis Flowers, Executive Director, Global Witness and Ministry, African Methodist Episcopal Church
Rev. Dr. Michael D. Castle, President, Alliance of Baptists
Dr. Steve Timmermans, Executive Director, Christian Reformed Church in North America
Stanley J. Noffsinger, General Secretary, Church of the Brethren
Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins, General Minister and President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the U.S. and Canada
Rev. Dr. Ronald Watkins, President, Disciples Home Missions, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the U.S. and Canada
Jonathan Greenblatt, National Director, Anti-Defamation League
William Bernstein, Executive Director, Jewish World Watch
Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and Senior Vice President, Union for Reform Judaism
Mark Hetfield, President & CEO, HIAS
Nancy K. Kaufman, CEO, National Council of Jewish Women
Debbie Hoffmann, President, National Council of Jewish Women
Rabbi Jill Jacobs, T'ruah: the Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
Jim Winkler, President, National Council of Churches
Rev. John L. McCullough, President and CEO, Church World Service
Rev. Dr. Earl D. Trent Jr. Chairman of the Board of Directors Church World Service
Linda Hartke, President and CEO, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
Stephan Bauman, President, World Relief
Jim Wallis, President and Founder, Sojourners
Rev. Peter Morales, President, Unitarian Universalist Association
Fr. Timothy P. Kesicki, S.J., President of the U.S. Jesuit Conference
Sister Simone Campbell, Executive Director, NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
Marcia Allen, CSJ, President, Leadership Conference of Women Religious
Sr. Patricia Chappell, Executive Director, Pax Christi USA
Sister Margaret Magee, OSF, President, Franciscan Action Network
Sister Patricia McDermott, RSM, President, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas
Bishop Francis E. Krebs, Presiding Bishop of the Ecumenical Catholic Communion
Sr. Ellen Kelly, RGS, Congregational Leader Elect, Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd
Gerry G. Lee, Director, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Rev. Ron Stief, Executive Director, National Religious Campaign Against Torture
Diane Randall, Executive Secretary, Friends Committee on National Legislation
Anwar A. Khan, CEO, Islamic Relief USA
Salam Al-Marayati, President, Muslim Public Affairs Council
Sayeed Siddiqui, President, Muslim Youth of North America
Catherine Orsborn, Director, Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign
Atiya Aftab, Esq., Co-founder and Chair, Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom
Scott Wright, Director, Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach, U.S. Region, Missionary Society of St. Columban
Rev. Fr. Antonio Ponce OMI, Director - Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate-Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation
Rev. Susan Taylor, National Public Affairs Director, Church of Scientology National Affairs Office
Rev. John Guttermann, Lead, Conversations With Friends
Rev. Dr. William Schulz, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
UNITED SIKHS
Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, Vice President of Community Engagement, HIAS
Rabbi Rachel Grant Meyer, Educator, Community Engagement, HIAS
Nathan Hosler, Director, Office of Public Witness, Church of the Brethren
Sandra Sorensen, Director, Washington Office, United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
Colin Watson, Director of Ministries and Administration, Christian Reformed Church in North America
Rev. Leah C. M. Lonsbury, Clergy Care Specialist, The Alliance of Baptists
Rev. Paula Clayton Dempsey, Director of Partnership Relations, Alliance of Baptists
Rev. Ronald J. Degges, President, Disciples Home Missions
Rev. Ken Brooker-Langston, Director, Disciples Center for Public Witness
Rev. Dr. Sharon Stanley-Rea, Director, Refugee & Immigration Ministries, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Dr. Peter Makari, Executive, Middle East and Europe, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ
Rev. Dr. James Moos, Co-Executive, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ
Rev. Julia Brown Karimu, Co-Executive, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ
Carol Blythe, Past President, Alliance of Baptists
Rev. Aundreia Alexander, Esq, Associate General Secretary for Action and Advocacy for Justice and Peace, National Council of Churches
Rev. Barbara L. Carter, Interfaith and Ecumenical Officer, Community of Christ
Marie Dennis, Co-President, Pax Christi International
Mr. Armando Borja, Regional Director, Jesuit Refugee Service North America
Sr. Jeanine Retzer, Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother United States/Caribbean Province
Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews, Director of Clergy Organizing, PICO National Network
Bishop Mary Ann Swenson, Ecumenical Officer, Council of Bishops, The United Methodist Church, Vice Moderator, World Council of Churches
Bishop Heinrich Bolleter, The United Methodist Church, Central and Southern Europe
Rev.Kephas Otieno Oloo, Vice-Chair GBCS, The United Methodist Church, Africa Central Conference
Bishop Elias Galvan, Retired, United Methodist Church and Executive Director, MARCHA (Methodist Associated Representing the Cause of Hispanic Americans)
Rev. Diane Y.Mettam, Director of Prayer Ministry, United Methodist DisAbility Task Force
Mr. Chett Pritchett, Executive Director, Methodist Federation for Social Action
Bishop S.Clifton Ives, The United Methodist Church, retired
Bishop Forrest C. Stith, Retired
Clay F. Lee, Bishop retired, The United Methodist Church
Bishop William W. Hutchinson, The United Methodist Church, Retired
Bishop Charlene Kammerer, Bishop, The United Methodist Church, Retired
Ray W. Chamberlain, Jr, Ret. Bishop, United Methodist Church
Bishop Peter D.Weaver, The United Methodist Church
Bishop Ernest S. Lyght, Retired, The United Methodist Church
Bishop Sharon Zimmerman Rader, retired, The United Methodist Church
Bishop Joseph H. Yeakel, retired The United Methodist Church
Bishop Al Gwinn, The United Methodist Church, Retired
Rev. Dr . Thomas Hudspeth, Pastor of the Deaf, The United Methodist Church
Bishop Alfred Johnson, retired Bishop, The United Methodist Church
Bishop Susan W. Hassinger, The United Methodist Church, Retired
Local and Regional Leaders – download the PDF of the letter to see the list of local and regional signatories
Photo: A refugee from Syria holds her one-month-old son upon arrival on the Greek island of Lesbos, after crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey on September 26, 2015. Credit: AFP/Getty Images
