Dear Representative Fine,
As Muslim and Jewish women committed to peace, we write in response to your recent statement on X: “If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one.”
Language that compares human beings to animals is not political debate. It is dehumanization. And dehumanization has consequences.
We have seen where this kind of rhetoric leads. It fuels assaults on visibly Jewish men in subway stations. It echoes in the stabbing of a man near Chabad headquarters in Brooklyn. It emboldens anti-Muslim hate crimes, including the murder of a 6 year old Muslim boy, Wadee Al Fayoume in Chicago. History teaches us, in the most painful way, that when leaders normalize language that strips people of their humanity, violence is never far behind.
Our nation was founded on the promise that every person is created equal and worthy of dignity. Religious freedom is not conditional. Equal protection under the law is not selective. Muslim Americans are not outsiders to that promise. They are woven into the fabric of this country — serving in our armed forces, leading in our communities, teaching in our schools, caring for patients in our hospitals, and contributing to every sector of American life.
As a Sisterhood of Muslim and Jewish women, we know from our histories what happens when hateful rhetoric is normalized. Our communities carry inter-generational memories of where dehumanization can lead. When one community is targeted, the safety and dignity of all communities are at risk.
Leadership in a democracy requires responsibility. Public officials take an oath to uphold the US Constitution. Our Constitution protects people of all faiths and of no faith. Words spoken from positions of power matter.
We reject anti-Muslim bigotry in all its forms. We reject anti-Jewish bigotry in all its forms. We reject all forms of hatred and the false choice between communities that share this country and its constitutional protections.
Representative Fine, we invite you to reflect on the weight of your words and the communities they affect. We also invite you to engage in dialogue. Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom was built on the belief that even in moments of tension and disagreement, people can choose dignity over division.
Our tears are the same color.
Our freedoms are intertwined.
And our commitment to justice, equality, and peace for all remains steadfast.
In peace and Sisterhood,
Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom
