Yesterday, Congressman Mark Takano stood on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives and said, “Today, as I watched leading politicians propose discriminatory policies targeting the Muslim community, I cannot be silent. Seventy years ago, my parents and grandparents were held prisoner during World War II without trial and without a reason, other than their Japanese heritage. In that moment, no one was willing to speak up for them. We
cannot ignore the lessons of history.
The Muslim community is the most frequent victim of terrorism and our greatest ally in ridding the world of extremism. Responding to Brussels by advocating for patrols of Muslim neighborhoods, or suggesting that we torture our enemies, is not only counterproductive, it violates the moral code that separates us from our enemies.”
This week, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz called for torture, government surveillance and police harassment against Muslim Americans in reaction to a terrorist attack in Belgium.