These Religious Leaders Say ‘Revolutionary Love’ Is The Antidote To Bigotry

This article was originally posted on The Huffington Post.

by Antonia Blumberg

Muslim Americans have found themselves at the center of ugly debate in the political arena as of late. At a time when religious literacy and dialogue could be our saving grace against the divisive rhetoric of terrorists, some have chosen fear and hatred, instead.But in the wake of Donald Trump’s call for a “complete shutdown” of Muslims entering the U.S., a group of religious leaders released a statement of solidaritywith the Muslim community in the United States on Dec. 9. “In place of such dangerous rhetoric,” the statement reads. “we offer instead ‘revolutionary love’ for our Muslim brothers and sisters, for the Constitution, and for our country.”Among the signees of the call-to-action were Sikh lawyer and activist Valarie Kaur, Muslim activist Linda Sarsour, Bishop Gene Robinson, Sr. Simone Campbell and Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III. As of Tuesday, the statement has garnered more than 23,000 signatures on Groundswell. The letter reads:

America is not America without Muslims. As people of faith and moral conscience, we promise to defend our Muslim brothers and sisters from attack, to speak up when they are maligned, and to support them with our voices, our actions, and our bodies.

The statement invited people to heed the call to action by using the hashtag #revolutionarylove on social media. One comment posted to Kaur’s Facebook post about the initiative on Tuesday and subsequently tweeted by the activist perfectly sums up the spirit of this radical form of acceptance.

 12342534_10102517927789321_8136208548235601853_n

Author and kundalini yoga teacher Ramdesh Kaur commented on Valarie Kaur’s post:

A man once looked at me wearing my turban and ran his thumb across his neck. “I’m going to slit your throat!” he screamed. I’m still praying for him, because he is my brother in this human race. His hate isn’t powerful enough to make me hate him. #revolutionarylove

In the face of hatred, choose love. It’s as simple as that.