Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Gregory Meeks, of the Foreign Affairs Committee, for his leadership in bringing this important legislation to the floor which addresses an issue of faith, of values, and of our country. The House comes together, hopefully, in a spirit of unity--I would have hoped--and patriotism to condemn and combat Islamophobia and all forms of racism, prejudice, and discrimination. Listening to the debate, I heard Mr. Danny Davis earlier as he was singing ``don't mess with Mister In-Between'' talking about religion and talking about how it should be off-limits and people's religion should be respected. I know--and probably it is true of everyone here-- the respect we have for our own faith and our own religion enables us to appreciate the faith and respect people have for their faith. That is why this is so sad because it is an attack on the faith of one of our Members. Sadly, but clearly, Islamophobia is a sinister, growing, and for too many American Muslims, a constant presence in our Nation. To just review some of the figures: Nearly 70 percent of American Muslims have personally experienced anti-Muslim discrimination since September 11. Thousands of documented acts of anti-Muslim bigotry and violence are recorded each year, with many thousands unreported.…”