The Co-Chairs of the Board of Bedrock – a hate-fueled violence prevention organization with bipartisan leadership – have issued the following statement in the aftermath of Tuesday’s Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on hate crimes:
"The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing to combat hate crimes in the United States and invited witnesses from a variety of groups. One of those witnesses, Arab American Institute Executive Director Maya Berry, was invited to testify about the threat of such hate crimes. She is a member of the National Leadership Council of Bedrock, an organization we co-chair to address hate-fueled violence in the United States.
Instead of focusing on the urgent need to address hate crimes in the United States, Senator John Neely Kennedy asked questions based on an assumption that Berry supported terrorism, ignored repeated responses that she did not, and told her that she should ‘hide your head in a bag.’ This stereotyping of Arab Americans, or any group, only serves to perpetuate hate and division, instead of healing it. In another context, and addressing the concerns after 9/11 about possible violence against Arabs and Muslims, President George W. Bush went to a mosque, removed his shoes, read from the Quran, and said, ‘America counts millions of Muslims amongst our citizens, and Muslims make an incredibly valuable contribution to our country. Muslims are doctors, lawyers, law professors, members of the military, entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, moms and dads. And they need to be treated with respect. In our anger and emotion, our fellow Americans must treat each other with respect.’
Especially in a hearing to address the rising tide of hate crimes in the United States, it is critical for our leaders to show respect for Americans of different backgrounds and engage in constructive dialogue. It is alarming to see Senator Kennedy’s assumptions about Executive Director Berry based on her ethnicity and we would encourage Senator Kennedy to follow President Bush’s example and show respect for all of our fellow Americans and to focus on the task of reducing hate in America in all its forms."
John Bridgeland
Co-Chair of the Board, Bedrock
Fmr. Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, Administration of George W. Bush
Cecilia Muñoz
Co-Chair of the Board, Bedrock
Fmr. Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, Administration of Barack Obama
