The attacks against Rep. Omar are attacks on the values of our democracy. White supremacy, discrimination, bigotry, and hateful expressions against immigrants, refugees, people of color, and communities of faith are despicable and contrary to the values and aspirations of the United States. In the face of such attacks, we reiterate our commitment to love, pluralism, diversity, and freedom of expression, religion, and conscience.

Rep. Omar is a visionary and inspiring leader demanding an end to the culture of endless wars, calling out the white supremacists and war criminals in the Trump administration, championing democracy and efforts to make it work for all of us, and fiercely standing for the human rights of immigrants and asylum-seekers. She’s done this in committee hearings, over social media, and at actions in Minnesota and Washington, D.C. She’s been unafraid to use her position to speak her truth and to fiercely advocate for the people of her district.

It’s because of her strident leadership of progressive values, as well as her identity as the first Black Muslim woman in Congress, that she is a target of constant racist and bigoted attacks from Donald Trump, right-wing media and extremists, Republican leaders, and even, at times, Democratic colleagues.

The attacks aimed at Rep. Omar are beyond the pale. Far from legitimate disagreements and critiques, there are intentional efforts to spread misinformation and incite fear and hate in the hearts of people in this country. These are blatant attempts to divide and distract us, while Trump and the GOP undermine our democracy and enrich themselves and their friends. These irresponsible acts have lead to a barrage of violent threats and verbal assaults against Rep. Omar and the Muslim community.

People can disagree on policy in good faith and critique one another for particular views, political appearances, and language. But what is happening now—on television, over Twitter, from the stages of political rallies—is incitement to violence and hate against an elected official already facing credible death threats, against a community already under attack around the world, and against humanity as a whole. We won’t be fooled by these attempts to make us fearful of one another, of Muslims and immigrants so Trump can scapegoat them and exploit economic anxieties while he gives massive tax breaks to corporations and destroys government programs that so many Americans depend on.

We stand together against this type of rhetoric and the policies and violence tied to it, and we stand with Ilhan Omar as she provides a groundbreaking model of leadership in Congress.

We call on all members of Congress to speak out against these attacks and stand with Rep. Omar and against the racist and bigoted rhetoric, policies, and violence.

Signed,

Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers
Rashad Robinson, Executive Director, Color of Change
Yvette Simpson, Chief Executive, Democracy for America
Charles Chamberlain, Chair, Democracy for America
Sabeel Rahman, President, Demos
Leah Greenberg, Co-Executive Director, Indivisible
Anna Galland, Executive Director, MoveOn Civic Action
Ilya Sheyman, Executive Director, MoveOn Political Action
Ai-Jen Poo, Executive Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance
Mary Kay Henry, President, Service Employees International Union
Cristina Jimenez, Executive Director, United We Dream
Maurice Mitchell, Executive Director, Working Families Party

National Leaders

Heidi Sieck, Chief Empowerment Officer, #VOTEPROCHOICE
Cayden Mak, Executive Director, 18 Million Rising
Maurice BP-Weeks, Co-Executive Director, Action Center on Race and the Economy
Saqib Bhatti, Co-Executive Director, Action Center on Race and the Economy
Isaac L Evans-Frantz, Board Member, Action Corps
Andrea Catone, Executive Director, Action Together Network
Robyn Henderson-Espinoza, Founder, Activist Theology Project
Judith Browne Diania, Executive Director, Advancement Project, National Office
Seydi Sarr, Executive Director, African Bureau for Immigration and Social Affairs
Amaha Kassa, Executive Director, African Communities Together
Sarah Audelo, Executive Director, Alliance for Youth Action
Samer Khalaf, National President, American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
Aarti Kohli, Executive Director, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus
Alvina Yeh, Executive Director, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance
J. Bob Alotta, Executive Director, Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice
Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, Executive Director, Ballot Initiative Strategy Center
Ady Barkan, Co-founder, Be A Hero
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, Co-Founders, Ben & Jerry’s
Patrisse Khan- Cullors, Board President, Black Lives Matter Global Network
Michael J. Frias, Chief Executive, Catalist
Ahmed Shabaik, Chairman Board of Trustees, Center for Egyptian American Dialogue
Michael Green, CEO, Center for Environmental Health
Salih Booker, President, Center for International Policy
Brian Kettenring, Co-Executive Director, Center for Popular Democracy
Ana María Archila, Co-Executive Director, Center for Popular Democracy
Andrew Friedman, Co-Executive Director, Center for Popular Democracy
Jennifer Epps-Addison, Co-Executive Director, Center for Popular Democracy
Jodie Evans, Co-Founder/Director, CODEPINK
Medea Benjamin, Co-Director, CODEPINK
Karen Hobert Flynn, President, Common Cause
Jose Vasquez, Executive Director, Common Defense
Dorian Warren, President, Community Change/Action
Amber Goodwin, Executive Director, Community Justice Action Fund
Nihad Awad, Executive Director, Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Heidi Hess, Co-Director, CREDO Action
Josh Nelson, Co-Director, CREDO Action
David Segal, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Demand Progress Education Fund
Steve Phillips, Founder, Democracy in Color
Wendy Fields, Executive Director, Democracy Initiative
Maria Svart, National Director, Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)
Heather McGhee, Distinguished Senior Fellow, Demos
Robin Knauerhase, Moderator, Disciples LGBTQ+ Alliance
Nisha Anand, CEO, Dream Corps
Wa’el Alzayat, Executive Director, Emgage Action
Tiffany Muller, President, End Citizens United
Edward Smith Jr, Director, EqualVoteLocal
David Donnelly, President, Every Voice
Jorge Gutierrez, Executive Director, Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement
The Rev. Stan J. Sloan, Chief Executive Officer, Family Equality Council
Sunjeev Bery, Director, Freedom Forward
Justin G. Myers, CEO, For Our Future
Dr. Trita Parsi, Professor, Georgetown University
Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO/President, GLAAD
Eliza Byard, Executive Director, GLSEN
Mark Magaña, President & CEO, GreenLatinos
Annie Leonard, Executive Director, Greenpeace US
Kimberly Peeler-Allen, Co-Founder, Higher Heights
Glynda C. Carr, Co-Founder, Higher Heights
Ash-Lee W. Henderson, Co-Executive Director, Highlander Research & Center
Rev. Allyn Maxfield-Steele, Co-Executive Director, Highlander Research and Education Center
Emily Mayer, National Coordinator, IfNotNow
Rami Nashashibi, Executive Director, Inner-city Muslim Action Network (IMAN)
John Cavanagh, Executive Director, Institute for Policy Studies
Phyllis Bennis, Project Director, Institute for Policy Studies, New Internationalism Project
Hatem Bazian, Executive Director, Islamophobia Studies Center
Rebecca Vilkomerson, Executive Director, Jewish Voice for Peace
Audrey Sasson, Executive Director, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice
Jacob Feinspan, Executive Director, Jews United for Justice
Sarita Gupta, Co-Executive Director, Jobs With Justice
Hassan Eltayyab, Co-director, Just Foreign Policy
Waleed Shahid, Spokesperson, Justice Democrats
Monica Ramirez, President, Justice for Migrant Women
Keri Fitzgerald, Co-leader, LA Resisters
Amanda Ballantyne, National Director, Main Street Alliance
Rev. Cedric A. Harmon, Executive Director, Many Voices: A Black Church Movement for Gay & Transgender Justice
Javier H. Valdes, Co-Executive Director, Make the Road NY
Vanessa Wruble, Executive Director, MARCH ON
Mark Ruffalo, Actor Producer Director, Mark Ruffalo
Marwa Fayed, Youth worker, MAS
Hassan Ali, President, MAS Austin
Dr. Hamud AL-Silwi, Imam, Mas Up NY (Bronx Muslim Center)
Marisa Franco, Executive Director, Mijente
Dante Barry, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Million Hoodies Movement for Justice
Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director, MomsRising
Monifa Bandele, Senior Vice President , MomsRising
Shannon Biggs, Director, Co-founder, Movement Rights
Linda Sarsour, Executive Director, MPower Change, Co-Chair, Women’s March
Farhana Khera, Executive Director, Muslim Advocates
Abdulghafoor M, Director of Fund Development, Muslim American Society
Hatem Ahmed, Member, Muslim American Society
Ayman Hammous, MAS National Executive Director, Muslim American Society (MAS)
Ismahan Abdullahi, National Deputy Director, Muslim American Society-PACE
Margari Hill, Co-founder, Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative (MuslimARC)
Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, Founder, MuslimGirl.com
Derrick Johnson, President & CEO, NAACP
Ilyse Hogue, President, NARAL Pro-Choice America
Saket Soni, Executive Director, National Guestworker Alliance
Marielena Hincapie, Executive Director, National Immigration Law Center
Jamal Abdi, President, National Iranian American Council
Jessica González-Rojas, Executive Director, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
Rea Carey, Executive Director, National LGBTQ Task Force
Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart, Faith Work Director, National LGBTQ Task Force
Ahmad Abuznaid, Director, National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC)
Yamani Hernandez, Executive Director, National Network of Abortion Funds
Glenn D. Magpantay, Executive Director, National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA)
Fatima Goss Graves, President and CEO, National Women’s Law Center
Tom Steyer, Founder, Need to Impeach and NextGen America
Paul Kawata, ED, NMAC
Stephen Myer Kretzmann, Founder & Executive Director, Oil Change International
Marie K Norman, Founder and Leader, Order of the Phoenix
Larry Cohen, Chair, Our Revolution
Cortney Tunis, Executive Director, Pantsuit Nation
Marge Baker, Executive Vice President, People for the American Way
George Goehl, Director, People’s Action
Wardah Khalid, President and Founder, Poligon Education Fund
Matt Nelson, Executive Director, Presente.org
Bruce Richman, Executive Director, Prevention Access Campaign
Stephanie Taylor and Adam Green, Co-Founders, Progressive Change Campaign Committee (BoldProgressives.org)
Stephanie Guilloud, Co-Director, Project South
Emery Wright, Co-Director, Project South
Robert Weissman, President, Public Citizen
L Herman, Leader, Rock the Congress, Sister District, Swing Left
Susan Rogan, Creator, Rogan’s List
Lance Toma, CEO, San Francisco Community Health Center
Su’ad Abdul Khabeer, Senior Editor, Sapelo Square
Sean Strub, Executive Director, Sero Project
Aimee Allison, President, She the People
Michael Brune, Executive Director, Sierra Club
Lakshmi Sridaran, Interim Co-Executive Director , South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT)
Heidi Beirich, Director of the Intelligence Project, Southern Poverty Law Center, Southern Poverty Law Center
Hon. Jessie Ulibarri, Executive Director, State Innovation Exchange
Alexis Anderson-Reed, Executive Director, State Voices
Amir Talai, Board member, Story of Stuff Project
Rabbi Jill Jacobs, Executive Director, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
Yvette A Flunder, Bishop Dr., The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries
Jim Merritt, Public Policy Team Member, The Global Justice Institute
Elle Hearns, Founder and Executive Director, The Marsha P. Johnson Institute
Anuradha Mittal, Executive Director, The Oakland Institute
Valarie Kaur, Founder and Director, The Revolutionary Love Project
Rev. Traci D. Blackmon, Associate General Minister, The United Church of Christ
Barbara R. Arnwine, Founder & President, Transformative Justice Coalition
Kris Hayashi, Executive Director, Transgender Law Center
Shaunna Thomas, Executive Director, UltraViolet
Jonathan Jayes-Green, Co-Founder and Director , UndocuBlack Network
Ahmed Bedier, President, United Voices for America
Yousef Munayyer, Executive Director, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights
Tory Gavito, President, Way to Win
Eric K. Ward, Executive Director, Western States Center
Stephen Miles, Executive Director, Win Without War
Tamika D. Mallory, Co-President, Women’s March
Isra Chaker, Civil Rights Activist

State and Local Leaders

Ruth Chicca, President, Action Together Massachusetts (ATMA)
Ellen Eden, Administrator, Action Together New York State
Alison Arne, Co-chair, Action Together NJ Atlantic County
Zakiyah Ansari, Advocacy Director, Alliance for Quality Education NY
Rama Issa-Ibrahim, Executive Director, Arab American Association of New York
Lara Kiswani, Executive Director, Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC)
Manjusha P. Kulkarni, Executive Director, Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council
Nekessa, Co-Founder, Black Immigrant Collective
Samantha Gladu, Executive Director, Bus Project
Imraan Siddiqi, Executive Director, CAIR Arizona
Zahra Billoo, Executive Director, CAIR San Francisco Bay Area
Alicia Sanchez Gill, Interim Executive Director, Collective Action for Safe Spaces
Hussam Ayloush, Executive Director, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA)
Rabbi Alana Alpert, Executive Director, Detroit Jews for Justice
Empire State Indivisible, Empire State Indivisible, Empire State Indivisible
Ricky Silver, Co-lead Organizer, Empire State Indivisible
Rebecca Pelham, Executive Director, Engage Miami
Rosemarie Colacino, Co-founder, Heartland Resistance Coalition
Pennie Opal Plant, Co-founder, Idle No More SF Bay
Laurie Pittman, Leadership Committee, Indivisible Claremont / Inland Valley
Linda Kessel, Lead Organizer, Indivisible Madison (WI)
Susan Morgan, Founder and Director, Indivisible Marin
Carin Mrotz, Executive Director, Jewish Community Action MN
Darakshan Raja, Co-Director, Justice for Muslims Collective
Dr. Maha Hilal, Co-Director, Justice for Muslims Collective
Jonathan Paik, Executive Director, Korean Resource Center
Tomas Robles and Alejandra Gomez, Co-Executive Directors, Living United for Change in Arizona – LUCHA
Marie Follayttar, Executive Director, Co-Director MFAL PAC, Mainers for Accountable Leadership
Hassan El-Alami, President, MAS Boston
Amin Ezzeddine, Executive Director, MAS Maryland
Mohamed Albadawi, President , MASKC
Mahdi Mujaahid, Board Chair, MASMN
Rev. Eddie Anderson, Revervand, McCarty Church
The Rev. Dr. Jacqueline J. Lewis, Senior Minister, Middle Collegiate Church
Emily Wellen, Executive Director, Minnesota Youth Collective
Rev. Allen Ewing-Merrill, Convenor, Moral Movement Maine
H. Drew Galloway, Executive Director, MOVE Texas
Tareq Purmul, Chapter President, Muslim American Society – California Chapter
Imam Asad Zaman, Executive Director, Muslim American Society of Minnesota
Waiel M Ahmed, President, Muslim American Society of Sacramento Region
Muhammad Abdallah, President, Muslim American Society, Detroit
Mohamed Badawi, Chapter President, Muslim American Society-CT
Adnan Perwez, President, Muslim Student Association West
Andrea Mercado, Executive Director, New Florida Majority
Islam Mossaad, Imam, North Austin Muslim Community Center
The Full Board of Directors, Funding Abortion and Building Power, Northwest Abortion Access Fund
Monica Meyer, Executive Director , OutFront Minnesota
Jaime Bassman, Founder, PA Action: Protecting Disability Rights
James Cersonsky, Director, Pennsylvania Student Power Network
Rukia Lumumba, Executive Director, People’s Advocacy Institute
Viridiana Hernandez, Executive Director, Poder in Action
Clara Porter, Founder/Director, Prevention. Action. Change.
Bobbi Jo Chavarria, Co-founder and Organizer, Progressive Alliance of the Inland Empire
Barry W. Rush, Treasurer, ProgressPA
Bonnie Ellman, Executive Committee Member, SFV Indivisible
Karin Leuthy & Kelli Whitlock Burton, Co-leaders, Suit Up Maine
Carolyn Chriss, Group Founder and Leader, The Indivisibles of Sherman Oaks
Michelle Fowle, Founder and Chair, The Resistance – Northridge, Indivisible
Sahar Pirzada, Co-chair, Vigilant Love
Jehan Hakim, Chair, Yemeni Alliance Committee
Luis Hernandez, Executive Director, Youth Over Guns