Press Release
Interfaith Alliance Applauds Reintroduction of The Freedom to Vote Act
National interfaith advocates are celebrating a renewed congressional effort to defend voting rights and protect American democracy. A bicameral group of legislators today reintroduced the Freedom to Vote Act, which includes strong provisions to expand voter access and counter attempts to undermine our electoral system.
Senators Schumer, Klobuchar, Kaine, and Warnock alongside Representatives Jeffries, Sarbanes, Morelle, and Sewell announced the reintroduction of the legislation.
In response, The Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, president and CEO of Interfaith Alliance, released the following statement:
“Voting is, at its core, a sacred right and the most fundamental way to participate in our democracy and to make our voices heard. As an organization working to achieve an inclusive vision of religious freedom and democracy, Interfaith Alliance commends the co-sponsors for their leadership on this critical piece of legislation which will ensure that all people, regardless of their beliefs, have equal access to the ballot box while promoting secure elections.
“People of diverse faiths and beliefs have a moral duty to ensure that the law guarantees equal access to vote, regardless of who you are and which party you choose.”
Interfaith Alliance has long stood for equal access to the ballot box and against efforts to suppress the vote and undermine our institutions as part of its mission to build a multireligious, pluralistic democracy.
I.R.S. Support for Political Endorsement by Houses of Worship Erodes Critical Boundary Between Religion and Government
WASHINGTON – Interfaith Alliance, a national leader in defending religious freedom and inclusive multi-faith democracy, is deeply concerned by a new I.R.S. court filing that says churches and other houses of worship can endorse political candidates to their congregations from the pulpit. This action by the Trump Administration violates the fundamental purpose and spirit of the Johnson Amendment, a decades-old ban on political campaigning and endorsement by non-profits, including houses of worship.
Interfaith Alliance Condemns Islamophobia and Extremist Targeting of Public Officials
As a national leader in defending religious freedom and multi-faith democracy, Interfaith Alliance is appalled by the recent surge of Islamophobic hate speech and incitement against NYC Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, and the broader pattern of extreme hate directed against public officials and vulnerable minorities. This hateful rhetoric seeks to spread polarization and division and wrongly pit diverse American communities against one another.
SCOTUS Ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor Enables LGBTQ+ Discrimination, Harms True Religious Freedom
WASHINGTON, DC – Interfaith Alliance, a national leader in defending religious freedom and multi-faith democracy, is deeply disturbed by the Supreme Court’s ruling today in the case of Mahmoud v. Taylor. The decision clears the way for further discrimination against diverse groups and undermines public education. While falsely claiming the mantle of religious freedom, it in fact suppresses diversity and promotes exclusion.