Leaders Must Ensure Coronavirus Does Not Pave the Way for Religious Discrimination

American Family Association Cites Letter from Ted Cruz to AG Barr

May 4, 2020

TUPELO, Miss.—Sen. Ted Cruz (R.-TX) has called on the Department of Justice to closely monitor New York City for potential religious discrimination, especially after Mayor Bill de Blasio singled out the Jewish community following the breakup of an Orthodox Jewish funeral.

The American Family Association (AFA, www.afa.net) says “the coronavirus pandemic has brought out the best in us and the worst.”

“While we salute the courage and dedication of our health care workers, sadly some of the worst behavior has come from a handful of politicians who have used the pandemic to violate religious liberty,” said AFA President Tim Wildmon. “We agree with Sen. Ted Cruz that New York City deserves special attention from the Department of Justice to ensure that religious freedoms are not trampled by overzealous politicians.”

Cruz’s letter to Attorney General William Barr states: “The fact that the Mayor made this threat mere days after tweeting in support of a program that would bring ‘hundreds of thousands [of meals] to the 32 sites most frequented by our Muslim communities’ and attending large gatherings with health care workers without protective equipment suggests that the Jewish community is being singled out for special burdens.”

Cruz continued, “It is especially dangerous to single out the Jewish community in a city that is experiencing a substantial rise in violent antisemitism. The Department of Justice should not hesitate to closely monitor New York City to ensure that the Mayor’s rhetoric does not translate into constitutional violations.”

For more than 40 years, AFA has operated within the mission to inform, equip, and activate individuals to strengthen the moral foundations of American culture and give aid to the church here and abroad in its task of fulfilling the Great Commission. Visit AFA Action Alerts here.

View the media page for AFA here. For more information on American Family Association, visit www.afa.net or follow AFA on Facebook or Twitter @AmericanFamAssc.

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To interview a representative from the American Family Association, contact Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Jeff Tolson, 610.584.1096, ext. 108, or ext. 102.