5061477 Resolution 20-579, “Sense of the Council of the District of Columbia Supporting Religious Tolerance Toward People of All Faiths Emergency Resolution of 2014”

A RESOLUTION

                                                        

20-579

 

IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

 

July 14, 2014         

 

                                                                                                                                                                                            

To declare the sense of the Council of the District of Columbia supporting religious tolerance toward people of all faiths in the District of Columbia. 

 

 

            RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the “Sense of the Council of the District of Columbia Supporting Religious Tolerance Toward People of All Faiths Emergency Resolution of 2014”.

 

            Sec. 2.  The Members of the Council of the District of Columbia find that:

                        (1)  As a city with a diverse ethnic and religious population, the District of Columbia has a proud history of supporting individual religious freedoms and is strengthened by the diverse religious, political, and cultural traditions of its residents.

                        (2)  The District is benefitted by the multiplicity of faiths whose tenets motivate humanitarian services, such as the provision of food to the hungry, shelter to the needy, and inexpensive or free health services.

                        (3)  As such, the District should seek to promote religious tolerance and discourage efforts, such as the advertisements from the American Freedom Defense Initiative (“AFDI”) displayed on Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (“Metro”) buses that promote Islamophobia.  These advertisements single out and disparage Muslims by associating the religion of Islam with Adolf Hitler and identifying its practitioners as anti-Semites.

            (4)  While respecting the First Amendment, we should discourage acts and expressions that disparage the religious or cultural beliefs and traditions of others. Such acts and expressions have been known to promote prejudice, incite fear and anger, and pose a threat to public safety.

                        (5)  We believe that religious and cultural divides can be bridged through tolerant, civil, and respectful exchange of dialogue between disparate groups. This is the highest expression of our democratic principles. 

                        (6) Collectively, we should choose to promote tolerance.

            (7)  The District should be a place where multiculturalism is celebrated and individuals can freely practice their faith without disparagement or fear of physical attack.

 

 

 

            Sec. 3.  It is the sense of the Council of the District of Columbia that:

                        (1)  Out of respect for the diverse religious, ethnic, and cultural makeup of this nation and the District, advertisements that disparage religious, ethnic, and cultural groups should be eliminated within the District.

                        (2)  The government of the District of Columbia should continue to promote religious, ethnic, and cultural diversity and tolerance.

           

            Sec. 4.  This resolution shall take effect immediately.