Jewish and Muslim Leaders Hold Capitol Hill Solidarity Event, Pro-Democracy Briefing with Reps. Raskin, Simon

WASHINGTON – Today on Capitol Hill, leaders from the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) and Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) hosted a briefing and discussion on the need for both communities to show up for each other and the importance of a strong, diverse democracy to the safety of all our communities in the face of rising antisemitism, Islamophobia, and broader extremism and hate. The event also included remarks from Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-8) and Representative Lateefah Simon (CA-12).

Co-sponsored by the Interfaith Alliance and Union Theological Seminary (UTS), the event, “Jewish-Muslim Solidarity: Moral Witness in Pressing Times,” featured a discussion between JCPA’s CEO Amy Spitalnick and MPAC’s President Salam Al-Marayati, moderated by UTS’s Rev. Frederick Davie. Interfaith Alliance’s Maggie Siddiqi emceed the event. 

The briefing reaffirmed the message that neither the Jewish or Muslim communities, nor democracy itself, are safe while either community can be targeted with hate, discrimination, and scapegoating. It took place against the backdrop of increasingly normalized antisemitism and Islamophobia, along with cynical and dangerous attempts to divide and polarize Jewish and Muslim communities that have historically worked as partners to uphold civil rights and democracy for all. 

In Sydney, Australia on Sunday, the horrific antisemitic mass shooting which killed at least 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration was ultimately stopped in part by the efforts of Ahmed Al-Ahmed, a Muslim man who heroically disarmed one of the shooters while himself being wounded. In the US Congress, several politicians have used the apparent Muslim identity of the attackers to share deeply hateful remarks directed toward all Muslims – including Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who wrote on social media that “Islam is not a religion. It’s a cult…we’ve got to SEND THEM HOME NOW.” Last week, Rep. Randy Fine said on the House floor of “mainstream Muslims”: “I think you destroy them first.” 

Leaders stressed the importance of unequivocally opposing and condemning acts of violence and hate directed at their respective partners. 

“The most extreme voices are exploiting legitimate fears about rising antisemitism and Islamophobia to pit Jewish and Muslim communities against each other. Yet our safety is inextricably linked to each other’s and to the strength of our multifaith, multiracial democracy,” said Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. “At a time of rising hate, it’s more important than ever that Jewish and Muslim groups show up for each other and work together in solidarity toward the safer and more equitable society our communities desperately need.” 

“At a time when political leaders traffic in dangerous rhetoric and violence is carried out in sacred spaces, American Jewish and Muslim communities are standing together, not in fear, but in faith and moral clarity,” said Salam Al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council. “We reject any attempt to divide us. Our solidarity is a declaration that hate will not dictate who belongs in this country. The future of American democracy depends on our shared courage to protect it.”

“I’m proud to join JCPA and MPAC to reject efforts to pit the Jewish and Muslim communities against each other. Rising antisemitism and Islamophobia across America and the world show that the safety and security of all people are inextricably linked,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin. “Democracy insists that we work in solidarity across all ethnic, religious, racial, political and ideological lines to create a more peaceful future built on our shared values.”

“Our communities are safer when we stand shoulder to shoulder, guarding our houses of worship, lifting each other when grief and anger press in,” said Rep. Lateefah Simon. “As descendants of Abraham, we inherit a demanding call. To choose life. To protect the vulnerable. To refuse the easy language of hate and the lazy comfort of silence. This is not distant work. It is the work of now.”

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About JCPA

Since its founding 80 years ago, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) has served as the national convener of Jewish coalitions working to build a just and inclusive democracy—bringing together national and local partners to address the issues that most deeply affect our community and advance our most essential values. Throughout its history, JCPA has been at the forefront of the fight for civil rights, justice, and equality in the United States.

Today, JCPA is mobilizing the robust community relations network and its partners in pursuit of a more just and democratic society for all – based on an abiding belief that Jewish safety is inextricably linked with the safety of other communities and a strong, pluralistic democracy. This is even more crucial at a moment when rising attempts to normalize antisemitism and other forms of hate and extremism seek to drive wedges between the Jewish community and other targeted groups. Growing extremism, disinformation, and attacks on inclusive democracy are fueling rollbacks of rights and a cycle of hate and violence that profoundly endangers Jews and so many others.

JCPA’s work is rooted in the understanding that only by overcoming lines of difference and fostering solidarity across communities can we advance an inclusive future in which Jews – and all people – are safe and free.

About MPAC

The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) is a national policy and advocacy organization dedicated to advancing justice, equity, and inclusion for American Muslims. Through strategic advocacy, government engagement, and coalition building, MPAC ensures that American Muslim voices are represented in shaping public policy and national conversations. By defending rights, challenging prejudice, and promoting solutions grounded in democratic values, MPAC strengthens both the Muslim community and the American promise of freedom for all.