Washington, DC– The Secular Coalition for America has released the following statement condemning President Trump’s executive order barring citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States.
Statement by Larry T. Decker, Executive Director of the Secular Coalition for America
“President Trump’s executive order must be recognized as the establishment of a religious test that is incompatible with our constitution and our values as Americans. The Trump campaign repeatedly denigrated Muslims and pledged to enact policies that discriminated against them. Now, at the expense of our First Amendment and our nation’s credibility, the Trump Administration is attempting to make good on this campaign promise. In a recent interview, President Trump proudly highlighted that the executive order would be used to fast track Christian refugees fleeing religious persecution into the United States. This admission by the President exposes the religiously biased intent behind the executive order.
If President Trump genuinely wants to defend religious freedom, he must advocate for policies that protect people of all faiths and none equally. It is a telling omission that President Trump has repeatedly highlighted the plight of Christians abroad but has remained silent about the persecution of nontheists despite the fact that three of the countries listed in his executive order consider being an atheist to be a capital offense. We must do away with any pretense that this executive order is solely intended to address issues of national security. This order by President Trump is an assertion of Christian privilege, anti-Muslim bigotry, a rebuke of our First Amendment and a grave threat to religious freedom. The Secular Coalition for America will join its allies, of every faith and none, in opposing this unconstitutional and unAmerican policy.”
Contact: Casey Brescia, [email protected], (845)-380-6201
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The Secular Coalition for America is the nation’s premier advocacy organization representing atheists, humanists, agnostics, and other nontheists. Its mission is to increase the visibility of and respect for nontheistic viewpoints in the United States, and to protect and strengthen the secular character of our government as the best guarantee of freedom for all. The Secular Coalition represents 19 voting member organizations.
