[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 27 (Friday, March 11, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 11, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                NO PLACE IN AMERICA FOR VICIOUS BIGOTRY

                                 ______


                            HON. DICK ZIMMER

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 10, 1994

  Mr. ZIMMER. Mr. Speaker, on February 23, this body voted to condemn 
the racist statements made by former Nation of Islam spokesman Khalid 
Abdul Muhammad in his speech at Kean College in Union, NJ. Less than a 
week later, Mr. Muhammad addressed students at Trenton State College in 
my district in New Jersey.
  I want to share with my colleagues the statement I made to more than 
500 people attending an interfaith Vigil of Conscience I helped to 
protest Mr. Muhammad's appearance on February 28.

       The vicious words of Khalid Abdul Muhammad and his leader 
     Louis Farrakhan, are a pointed reminder that the United 
     States is not immune from the epidemic of ethnic and 
     religious hatred and violence that infects so much of the 
     world.
       As Franklin D. Roosevelt said: ``We are a nation of many 
     nationalities, many races, many religions--bound together by 
     a single unity, the unity of freedom and equality. Whoever 
     seeks to set one nationality against another seeks to degrade 
     all nationalities. Whoever seeks to set one race against 
     another seeks to enslave all races. Whoever seeks to set one 
     religion against another, seeks to destroy all religion.''
       It is an unspeakable sacrilege that these men who claim to 
     be ministers of God preach hatred and violence in his name. 
     We have organized this vigil to reaffirm that Americans of 
     all religions and all races are united in the belief that our 
     God demands love, not hate. He demands unity, not discord. He 
     demands truth, not slander.
       There is a risk that by forcefully responding to bigots we 
     give them a prominence they don't deserve. But the greater 
     risk is to remain silent in the face of malicious falsehood, 
     implying that what they say isn't important or that it is 
     somehow acceptable.
       We are here to reaffirm that there is no place in America 
     for vicious bigotry and ethnic hatred and that we will not 
     realize our ideals by trying to outshout each other, by 
     demonizing each other or by killing each other.
       We must instead seize this opportunity as members of a 
     remarkably diverse coalition that has joined together this 
     evening on account of hate to make a permanent commitment to 
     the hard work of reconciliation and cooperation. That is the 
     only way we can achieve the timeless hope of all our 
     traditions--shalom, salaam, peace.

                          ____________________