What Dr. King and Rabbi Salanter Might Have Said about Lowe’s and Racism

In commemoration of Martin Luther King Day and in solidarity with the American Muslim community, on Sunday, Jan. 15 JCUA’s Jane Ramsey spoke at an interfaith town hall meeting concerning Lowe’s anti-Muslim actions last month. The town hall meeting took place at the Prayer Center of Orland Park.

See media coverage of the event:  Southtown Star | Enews Park Forest

Watch the full town hall meeting on YouTube (see Jane Ramsey’s speech from 8:00 to 15:45).

Here is Jane Ramsey’s full speech at the event:

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born 83 years ago today. Assassinated over 40 years ago, his powerful legacy lives on. Dr. King fought on behalf of and with oppressed communities, not in defiance of American ideals, but in their name. His famous words echo strongly as ever:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

Dr. King emphasized that though our past, as well as our present, are engulfed by the oppression, racism and discrimination that targets minority communities – as a society, we all face a common future.

Jane Ramsey (from left) Amina Shareef, CAIR-Chicago; Jan Shaulis, Faith United Methodist Church; and Anya Cordell, writerJane Ramsey and other speakers at a panel discussion about Lowe's. (Photo: Enews Park Forest.)

The Jewish Council on Urban Affairs stands strong here today with you, stating loudly and clearly that the outrage felt by Muslims, and by all people of good will, regarding Lowe’s shameful actions reflects our outrage. Lowe’s cowardice in buckling to the right-wing Florida Family Association’s demand that it pull its ads from TLC’s reality show “All-American Muslim” and subsequent justifications by Lowe’s for these acts, are deeply offensive and attack the very core of our democracy.

Lowe’s Helps to Bring the Treatment of American Muslims to a New Low

 JCUA Statement

Click the picture to sign a petition protesting companies' decisions to pull advertising from "All-American Muslim."

The treatment  of  American Muslims by the media has reached a new low.

It has been clear for a while that there seems to be a concerted effort to demonize the Muslim community, and now corporate America is caving in to pressure from anti-Muslim groups to pull their ads from a reality TV show on the TLC cable network.

The latest battleground is a TV show. All American Muslim features the lives of American Muslim families. The show humanizes Muslims and challenges  negative stereotypes.

As depicted in the series, these families face the same types of issues as “average” Americans, compounded by the challenges of racism, religious conflict and the epidemic of Islamophobia that has been growing since 9/11.

Last week, anti-Muslim groups, led by the Florida Family Association, pressured American companies to pull their advertising dollars. They succeeded.  Lowe’s Home Improvement pulled their ads from the show.

Religious bigotry here in America? How is this possible?

A country founded by groups fleeing religious persecution?

As a  Jewish organization that has been partnering with Muslim organizations for more than 10 years to protect civil liberties and civil rights, we are asking you to take a stand against Islamophobia. A country founded by those who fled religious persecution should not and cannot tolerate bigotry of any kind.

Click here to sign the petition. (Once you sign, your name will be added to the 20,000 others who have spoken out already.)

This petition demands that American companies reject fear-mongering and stand for an America that values the dignity and the contributions of all its people.

As a Jewish community, we will not stand idly by and witness discrimination and prejudice against a people because of their religion.  Someone’s faith cannot be a tool for oppression. We stand in solidarity with Muslim-Americans in confronting Lowe’s and other companies’ bigotry.

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Comedian Jon Stewart Pokes Fun

The campaign  to pull ads from All-American Muslim is so offensive it is almost funny. Use the link above to see how Jon Stewart frames this absurd controversy.