Washington, DC | www.adc.org | March 22, 2016 – The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) expresses sincere condolences to the victims of the terrorist attacks committed by ISIS in Brussels this morning. Unfortunately the attacks have been used by politicians, such as Senator Ted Cruz, as justification to promote broad anti-Muslim and anti-Arab policies that would violate the constitutional rights of millions of Americans.
American politicians, in particular those running for President, must affirm the constitutional rights of all Americans, and refrain from using divisive rhetoric that blames American Muslims for the heinous attacks of ISIS. While speaking about the Brussels attacks this morning, Sen. Cruz said that the United States should“empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized.”
Click here to read the full statement from Senator Cruz
Senator Cruz is insisting that innocent Muslim Americans be targeted for extra surveillance solely on the basis of their religion. Regrettably such surveillance programs which target Muslim and Arab Americans are already in place. We must work to eliminate these programs, and not expand them as Sen. Cruz is suggesting. As a presidential candidate who says that he continues to “champion Americans’ religious liberty,” Senator Cruz’s attack on the religious freedom of Muslim Americans is not only wrong, but highly hypocritical.
ADC calls on Senator Cruz to repudiate these anti-Muslim comments and affirm his commitment to protecting the First Amendment rights of all Americans, not just those who share his religious beliefs.