Loading ...Haywood, Oh, make anti bigotry pledge
Samaria Bailey
The Philadelphia Tribune
State Sen. Art Haywood (D-4) and City Councilman-at-Large David Oh signed an anti bigotry pledge to promote tolerance towards Muslims and Arabs at the Al-Aqsa Islamic Society mosque on Feb. 19.
The “Pledge to Combat Bigotry” is a document issued by the Arab-American Institute, and those who sign it, commit to the following: “I pledge to uphold civil discourse and not engage in bigotry, whether it be in speech or actions, and to speak out against those who do.”
The mosque where the pledge was signed was the site where a pig’s head was found in December.
“Those of all faiths and creeds are welcome in our communities, and must be safe and protected here in Pennsylvania,” Haywood said. “Threats to religious tolerance based on unfounded fear have no place in our commonwealth. It is up to all of us to ensure that hate has no home here.”
According to a statement issued by Haywood’s office, “The Southern Poverty Law Center found a 14 percent rise in hate and extremist groups in the United States in 2015. The organization found that Pennsylvania has the fifth highest number of hate groups in the nation.”
Haywood added that, “having an approach to other people that treats us like humans” is important and that “we all have many difference but we all come from the same creator.”
Marwan Kreidie, the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Arab American Community Development Corporation, said Oh was the only Republican in the country to sign the pledge.
“We’ve tried to get [elected officials] throughout the country to sign it, but he is the only Republican anywhere to sign it,” said Kreidie adding that Oh “ represents what Republicans should stand for” as opposed to “those blowhards, not just [Donald] Trump, [but Texas Sen. Ted] Cruz, and [Fla. Sen.] Marco] Rubio and [Dr. Ben] Carson” also.
“I’m the first Republican to sign int, but I think that’s just coincidental,” said Oh, adding that he opted to sign the pledge because “it’s important to reassure our Muslim community our city leaders stand with them publicly. It’s important to show sensitivity and respect. We condemn acts that that target people with abuse and disrespect.”
Oh also previously introduced a resolution in city council “condemning” the act of leaving the pig’s head at the mosque, which was passed unanimously.
Source: www.phillytrib.com