Interfaith Center participates in Attorney General’s announcement of new legislation against hate crimes
RICHMOND – Representatives from the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy lent support today during Attorney General Mark Herring’s announcement of a new legislative push to protect racial, ethnic and religious minorities in Virginia from hate crimes, and to establish a more inclusive definition of “hate crime.”
Several faith leaders joined Herring for his announcement and added their words of support to a new effort to help protect citizens of the Commonwealth from acts of violence, harassment, discrimination or intimidation.
Herring also launched a website, www.NoHateVA.com, that will offer groups and individuals a centralized source of information on hate crimes.
“No Virginian should be singled out for abuse, harassment or mistreatment because of who they are, what they look like, how they worship, where they come from or whom they love,” said Herring. “Hate crimes violate the civil liberties of victims and are contrary to the very founding principles of our Commonwealth and our country.”
In 2015, there were 155 hate crime offenses reported in Virginia, including 71 assaults, and 49 acts of vandalism or damage to property. This represents a 21 percent increase over the previous year and an increase in hate crimes was recorded in nearly every reported category. Of these reported hate crimes tracked by the Virginia State Police, 82 crimes were based on racial bias, 23 on religious bias, 22 on sexual orientation, 15 on ethnicity and 13 on disability.
Nationally, the FBI reported a 6 percent increase in hate crimes nationwide in 2015, including an increase in crimes against Jewish Americans, African Americans, LGBT Americans, and a 67 percent increase in crimes against Muslim Americans.
Under legislation being offered during this General Assembly session by Sen. Barbara Favola and Del. Lamont Bagby, the Attorney General’s office would be empowered to investigate and prosecute suspected hate crimes through the Commonwealth’s network of multi-jurisdictional grand juries, which serve nearly 100 localities and give prosecutors additional tools and resources when investigating crimes and building cases. Del. Rip Sullivan has proposed legislation to expand the state definition of who can be victims of hate crimes to include disability, gender and sexual orientation to more closely match federal guidelines.
“Virginia has a bipartisan tradition of protecting its citizens, and I hope the next administration and Attorney General will continue that policy,” Herring said. “But I’m concerned. We’re on the eve of a transfer of power and a major shift in policy, and I’m concerned whether Washington will still protect us. There are a lot of people out there who are more than concerned, they are scared. I’ve heard that fear. It is heartbreaking to hear of the effects that hate crimes have on our community.”
“We cannot allow Virginians to feel vulnerable and besieged,” Herring added. “They have the right to feel safe. To be safe. If the new administration steps back from their responsibility on hate crimes – even an inch – Virginians’ rights will still be protected in the communities they call home.”
Rabbi Gary Creditor, rabbi emeritus of Temple Beth-El and VICPP’s Richmond Chapter president, said that Virginia’s faith community stands shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with each other on this issue. “Even as our theologies are different, we reflect the values that are held together by our faith communities. We strongly endorse these initiatives. The Interfaith Center believes in the dignity and holiness of every man, woman and child. We are all equally God’s children. No one is higher or no one is lower. Each of us is sacred and reserves reverence. On this there is no division in the unity among us.”
The Rev. Melanie Mullen, an associate pastor at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, echoed Creditor’s comments. “For people of faith we know that the dignity of all people is interlocked together. This work allows us to participate in making a community where hatred no matter how small is not allowed to flourish.”
“I’m African American, and hate crimes are nothing new to our community,” said the Rev. David Chapman, General Minister for the Baptist General Convention in Virginia. “They’ve been going on for hundreds of years. So I stand here today in support of the measures being proposed by our Attorney General to combat the increase in hate crimes in our state and nation. On the other hand, I regret that in 2017 these measures are still necessary.”
Iman Ammar Amonette of the Islamic Center of Virginia in Bon Air, said that “we support everyone’s First Amendment rights, but hate speech emboldens some people to take matters into their own hands and to attack and assault and harass people. Most Muslims have probably been targeted by hateful speech and these incidents are underreported. We appreciate the Attorney General’s strong words and actions to protect us here in Virginia to make people feel safe and welcome and equal citizens under the law.”
The Rev. Linda Higgins, pastor of St. John’s United Church of Christ, said that at her church following the November elections “there was a lot of fear to be managed. … My hope and dream would be that these tools become the tools that make people feel safe enough that we never actually use them. That as a community we can know and respect one another no matter who we are and how God has made us.”
Rabbi Jack Moline, president of the national Interfaith Alliance and rabbi emeritus of the Agudas Achim congregation in Alexandria, said that “a hate crime is not committed against an individual, but it intended to strike fear in an entire community. That’s what makes hate crimes different.”
James Parish, the executive director of Equality Virginia, pointed out that hate crimes against gays are the third most frequent type of hate crime in America. “Every hour a crime motivated by the perpetrator’s bias against the victim occurs in the United States, and Virginia is not immune to such acts,” Parish said.
“The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy affirms the God-given worth and dignify of all people in the Commonwealth. Our faiths call us to stand with one another — with immigrants, with Jews, with Muslims,” said Kim Bobo, executive director of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy. “We fully support the Attorney General’s efforts to stop and investigate hate crimes.”
For more information on the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, please visit www.virginiainterfaithcenter.org.
-Neill Caldwell, with reporting from Michael Kelly of the Attorney General’s office
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