Press Releases

Nearly two weeks after a local Northern Virginia Mosque, Dar Al-Hijrah, was attacked with Molotov cocktails and a hoax bomb, Congressmen Don Beyer (D-VA), Keith Ellison (D-MN), and Joe Crowley (D-NY) wrote their House colleagues urging them to visit the Falls Church mosque to participate in Friday prayers this week.

“Intolerance and hatred have no place in American society,” said Rep. Beyer.  “We are a diverse nation of immigrants whose shared cultural heritage is one of openness and inclusion.  We must celebrate this diverse thread of our cultural cloth, not tear it apart.”

Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, Outreach Director for the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center, said, “Many in our community feel under siege in recent weeks.  Women taking their children to school have been heckled by passersby, and we experienced two incidences of hate violence.  It is with the support of good neighbors like Congressmen Beyer, Ellison, and Crowley that we carry on knowing that our future will be brighter."

Their visits comes on the heels of numerous reports over the past few weeks of anti-Muslim acts of hatred throughout the country, including in Northern Virginia, Texas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Arizona.

Beyer will participate in Friday prayers at Dar al-Hijrah (3159 Row Street, Falls Church, Virginia 22044) at 12:15 PM.  Following the service, he will join Imam Johari Abdul-Malik to speak with reporters and the public. 

Rep. Ellison will celebrate Friday prayers at his local mosque in Minnesota.

“The recent attack on the mosque in Falls Church is an attack on the core American value of freedom of religion.  We must all stand together and condemn these acts of hatred and intolerance—they are not who we are as a people. Sadly, attacks on Muslim Americans have increased due to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump calling for the surveillance of mosques and registering Muslim Americans. Our communities and nation are strongest when people of all faiths and backgrounds hold fast to tolerance and inclusion,” said Rep. Ellison.

“Members of Congress are the faces of their communities, and we must bring to our jobs a knowledge of the diversity of religions and cultures that make up our both our individual districts and the nation. We must also speak out when we see prejudice, discrimination, and hate - whether it’s a bomb threat on a mosque, a child bullied on a bus, or a slur painted on a building,” said Rep. Crowley, Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus. “Intolerance is a dangerous thing, and we will never be able to grow as a society if we allow it to go unchecked.”  

Friday is traditionally a day of reflection and prayer in the Islamic faith.  Known as Jumu’ah, the celebration typically consists of a sermon followed by community prayers in the afternoon.

Any Member unable to join in the Falls Church visit is encouraged to attend prayer services in their home district this Friday.

Text of the letter:

Join Us: Show Solidarity with the American Muslim Community

Dear Colleague:

Two weeks ago, a mosque just ten miles from the Capitol was the recipient of a hoax bomb and Molotov cocktails were thrown in the parking lot. This attack is just one of many examples of anti-Muslim actions and rhetoric being felt in local communities across the country. Another recent example, just 50 miles south of here at a recent Spotsylvania County community meeting: Protestors told members of the Islamic Center of Fredericksburg that all Muslims are terrorists and to get out of “their town.”  Or in Texas, where an armed protest was held outside the Islamic Center of Irving and the protest sponsor published names and addresses of those he targeted and identified as being Muslims and “Muslim sympathizers.”

We must show that we will not tolerate islamophobia and that those who propagate it do not represent the melting-pot America that we celebrate. Leaders in support of American diversity and in support of the Muslim communities we represent, respect, and work hand-in-hand with for peace, must speak more loudly than the intolerant.  We invite you to join in this Friday to stand in solidarity with Dar Al-Hijrah Mosque -- the mosque that received the hoax bomb -- and with all our American Muslim communities, by attending Friday prayers and joining us for a short press conference against bigotry.

Those attending will depart the Capitol on Friday, December 4th, for Dar Al-Hijrah Mosque, 3159 Row St, Falls Church, VA 22044, to join Friday prayers at 12:15 pm.  Following the service, we will join Imam Johari Abdul-Malik to speak to reporters and the public. If you cannot join us on Friday, we invite you to attend prayers at a mosque in your congressional district to show Muslims around the country that Members of Congress stand with them in the face of intolerance.

Every nation faces chapters of bigotry and discrimination against religious, ethnic or racial groups.  What sets the United States apart is our ability to rise up collectively against these wrongs to achieve civility, acceptance, and inclusion. Help us show solidarity with the American Muslim community by joining us on Friday. For more information, please contact Kate at Kate.Schisler@mail.house.gov  or Adnan at Adnan.Mohamed@mail.house.gov in Congressman Beyer’s office.

Sincerely,

Donald S. Beyer Jr.                          Keith Ellison                                        Joseph Crowley

 

MEMBER OF CONGRESS               MEMBER OF CONGRESS               MEMBER OF CONGRESS

 

 

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