Asian Americans Advancing Justice Condemns Terrorist Attack on Muslim Worshippers in New Zealand
San Francisco, CA – Today in Christchurch, New Zealand, at least 49 of our Muslim brothers and sisters were killed while worshipping by a white supremacist in a terrorist attack and many more were injured.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice, an affiliation of five civil rights organizations, issues the following statement:
“The attacks in New Zealand confirm that white nationalism is a threat that the world can no longer ignore. Hatred of immigrants and Islamophobia are global phenomena, yet every attack continues to be personal for all of the communities that we serve.
People of Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim and South Asian descent are no strangers to the violent scapegoating of minority communities, including physical attacks and killings post-9/11 and in an era of rising white nationalism. The Trump Administration shamefully perpetuates a narrative of fear through policies like the Muslim Ban and in the surveillance of mosques and Muslim communities. This fear-mongering has direct consequences for the lives of our people as we saw today in Christchurch.
Our hearts go out to the victims of the New Zealand mosque attacks and their families. We stand in solidarity with Muslim communities everywhere and pledge to fight for a world guided by values of love, dignity, and inclusion.”
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Asian Americans Advancing Justice is a national affiliation of five leading organizations advocating for the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and other underserved communities to promote a fair and equitable society for all. The affiliation’s members are: Advancing Justice | AAJC (Washington, DC), Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus (San Francisco), Advancing Justice – Los Angeles, Advancing Justice – Atlanta, and Advancing Justice – Chicago.
Media Contacts:
Christina So, Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus, 415-848-7728, christinaso@advancingjustice-alc.org
Michelle Boykins, Advancing Justice – AAJC, 202-296-2300 x0144, mboykins@advancingjustice-aajc.org
James Woo, Advancing Justice – Atlanta, 404-585-8446, jwoo@advancingjustice-atlanta.org
Brandon Lee, Advancing Justice – Chicago, 773-271-0899 x200, blee@advancingjustice-chicago.org
Jessica Jinn, Advancing Justice – Los Angeles, 213-241-8817, jjinn@advancingjustice-la.org