Chairman Crowley, Interfaith Leaders Hold Religious Freedom Roundtable

(Queens, NY) – Congressman Joe Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx), Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, was joined by Sister Simone Campbell, Executive Director of NETWORK, and interfaith leaders today for a discussion on religious freedom and tolerance.

“It’s so important for spiritual leaders of all faiths to come together and stand as one,” said Chairman Crowley. “I deeply appreciate Sister Simone taking the time to join us to discuss how her religious beliefs guide the work she does to uplift and empower our most vulnerable citizens. As both an Irish-Catholic and a second-generation American, I feel a deep sense of responsibility to defend the rights of Americans of all faiths, which is why one of my top priorities is ridding our nation of bigotry and discrimination wherever it rears its head. It was heartening to discuss with local faith leaders how we can use our spiritual values to act as champions for the common good.”   

“It’s clear that some use the term ‘religious freedom’ to mean individualism. The reality is, religious freedom is about community,” said Sister Simone Campbell, SSS, Executive Director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice. “In our democracy, the way we live out religious freedom is by caring for each other and honoring our variety of traditions, whether we are Christian or Muslim, Jewish or Buddhist, Sikh or secular. When our society focuses on individualism rather than community, we are ripping the heart out of our democracy.

“The Catholic Sisters and activists of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice live our religious freedom by advocating across the country for the common good. We see protecting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and food security, supporting the Dream Act, defeating the Muslim Travel Ban, and pushing for a living wage as crucial to our mission. We honor our faith teaching and the First Amendment when we work in community for the common good.”

President Trump’s first year in office saw an increase in attacks on religious freedoms and human rights. One of his first acts as president was to institute an unconstitutional Muslim Ban that has been repeatedly struck down by federal courts. Since President Trump took office, there has been spike in the occurrences of hate crimes throughout the country. In 2017 alone, the FBI reported 6,121 hate crimes, a marked increase since 2015. 

Throughout his time in Congress, Chairman Crowley has strongly advocated for religious freedom and led efforts to combat faith-based discrimination. Last fall, he urged the House Judiciary Committee to hold hearings on the rise in hate crimes in America and has spearheaded efforts to improve the methods federal and local law enforcements deploy to monitor hate crimes. Chairman Crowley has also been a vocal opponent of President Trump’s proposed Muslim Ban and other proposals that discriminate against individuals based on their religious views. Chairman Crowley also invited a Queens-based small business owner, who was the victim of a hate crime, to President Trump’s first joint address to Congress to stand against the hateful rhetoric that fueled his Presidential campaign.

Chairman Crowley has also been an outspoken advocate for religious tolerance in Congress. In April, Father Pat Conroy was asked to resign from his post as Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives after Republicans accused Father Conroy of not meeting their pastoral needs. Congressman Crowley publicly protested this action and called for a public accounting by Speaker Paul Ryan.

###