Supervisor Jason Haas to Attend Vigil Against Hate
Islamic Society of Milwaukee Located in 14th Supervisory District
MILWAUKEE – County Supervisors Jason Haas will attend a local vigil for New Zealand’s victims of white nationalist terrorism, to be held at the Islamic Society of Milwaukee Thursday night at 7:30pm. The Islamic Society is located in the 14th Supervisors District, which Haas represents on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors.
Haas released the following statement:
“I stand united with my Muslim constituents and members of the Islamic faith worldwide against racism and Islamophobia, and condemn the cowardly act of violence that left 50 dead and dozens injured in New Zealand last Friday.
“From Charlottesville to Pittsburg to New Zealand, white nationalism is a US export and it is time that we wake up to this reality, take responsibility for it, and do something about it.
“The recent increase in far-right violence around the world and in the United States should be called out for what it is: a plague of hatred motivated by the twin ideologies of white nationalism and white supremacy, and we must act to prevent it from spreading further.
“Simply condemning bigotry or intolerance is not sufficient. These words don’t adequately or appropriately define the problem. We can and must do better.
“When politicians demean non-whites, immigrants, refugees, Muslims, Jews, queer folks, and other minority groups, or portray them as ‘invaders,’ or not deserving of dignity and respect, it encourages white nationalists and white supremacists to engage in violence targeting these groups.
“One way to stop the spread of violence wrought by white nationalism and white supremacy is to deny those who promote these ideologies a platform for their hateful rhetoric.
“White nationalists, white supremacists, and fascists must be exposed and shut down whenever and wherever possible. This is an issue that does not have ‘two sides.'”
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.