Statement by Vice President Joe Biden on Safeguarding our Faith-Based Communities
One year ago, a gunman armed with an AR-15 style rifle and multiple magazines entered the Chabad of Poway synagogue in California, where members of the Jewish community were gathered to mark Shabbat and celebrate the last day of Passover. He murdered one and injured three others before fleeing the scene, with more casualties prevented thanks to the bravery of a congregation member and the weapon jamming.
Sadly, the incident was just one in a long and too-rapidly increasing line of attacks targeting communities of faith all across the country. Poway, Pittsburgh, and Monsey, New York, are now part of a tragic shorthand for anti-Semitic violence targeting synagogues and Jewish faith observances — but churches, mosques, Sikh temples, and other houses of worship have seen tragic acts of violence as well: Mother Emanuel in South Carolina, First Baptist Church and West Freeway Church of Christ in Texas, Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Minnesota, and many others.
Hatred is not a new phenomenon. Nor is it a problem only in the United States. We have recently passed the annual day of remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust, as well as the one-year anniversary of the horrific massacre at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand. So it falls to all of us to remain vigilant against these threats, to call out these evils for what they are, and to fight against them at every turn.
These are acts of terrorism, plain and simple. They are bound together by the common thread of perpetrators using fear and violence to undermine individuals’ ability to freely exercise their faith. With morbid regularity, these attacks steal lives, destroy families, and wound the communities from which many draw strength. They are an assault on our shared American values of inclusivity, tolerance, and respect.
In response to these threats, religious communities have leaned on regional initiatives and member donations to finance enhanced security measures. Federal and state security grants have also helped to improve emergency preparedness and physical security infrastructure. While these are steps in the right direction, more is needed. Religious freedom means the right to practice one’s faith without fear.
Addressing gun violence across our nation is a critical part of this, and I have vowed to take the fight to the NRA and the gun manufacturers and to enact a comprehensive plan of gun safety reforms as president. Today, I am also releasing a plan specifically to help safeguard faith-based communities across the United States.
These policy proposals are crucial to protecting our faith-based communities against the ugly rise of hate and extremism that has gained encouragement and political cover under the Trump Administration. Anti-Semitism has increased markedly, with hate crimes and anti-Semitic assaults and incidents spiking over the last several years. Government officials are sounding the alarm over a dangerous rise in anti-religious hate speech and conspiracy theories that have taken root in connection with the coronavirus pandemic. It is dangerous, and we need a leader who will send a clear message from the very top of government that hate has no safe harbor in the United States of America. Time and again, Donald Trump has failed to meet that simple test. He has fanned the flames of bigotry and racism for political gain, and made a moral equivalence between those perpetuating hate in our country, and those standing against it.
As president, I will fight to restore the soul of this nation and defend our most sacred American values. Freedom of religion was at the heart of the founding of our nation. It is the protection that says each of us is free to live according to our own conscience. During moments of crisis, that freedom is more important than ever.
For so many of us, it is our faith that sees us through times of trouble and that urges us to rise each morning and go forth into the world. My faith has given me refuge and resurgence throughout my life. And, with the world struggling now to overcome this pandemic, the ability to practice our respective faiths is a much-needed source of solace for people everywhere. This year, we cannot gather for Ramadan prayers. We could not join together for Passover services or Easter celebrations, or any other religious ceremonies — but we are still united with our communities by our faith. And when we defeat this virus and can gather together once more, we must do everything in our power to assure that we can all celebrate our faith, safely and without fear.
