Around the world, communities are witnessing a troubling rise in fear-based governance, words untethered to facts, fabricated lies that are intended to support fabricated narratives, shrinking civic space and discourse, growing appropriations for paramilitary bodies, and the targeting of vulnerable persons. These developments are not isolated events, nor are they confined to one nation or community. They are the character traits of authoritarian rule. They are toxic in the highest degree polluting planetary culture. They remind us that injustice only grows when silence replaces solidarity. In the face of systemic cruelty counter to the values fundamental to all religions, and to the democratic ideals to which the United States has long aspired, enshrined in the Constitution - we will not be silent. In the face of outright, blatant corruption that endorses the use of power to further enrich the rich and impoverish the poor – we will not be silent. In the face of policies that are destroying our environment, again, to further enrich the rich and impoverish the poor, especially poor nations – we will not be silent. In the face of policies that supports the dismantling of our most precious institutions of scientific understanding, of healthcare research and knowledge, of environmental sustainability, of educational opportunity, of social justice – we will not be silent. In the face of an administration in the USA and abroad that is using its agencies to target the least amongst us, children – we will not be silent. In the face of an administration in the USA and abroad that is using the justice system to inflict suffering, death, and pain upon the innocent – we will not be silent. 

As an interfaith organization committed to the dignity of all persons the Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada affirms that this historical moment carries a clear moral responsibility. It is incumbent upon every person to evaluate our moral culture and to speak up, to show up, to resist cruelty, corruption and chaos. Our collective responsibility is to protect human dignity, practice compassion, and defend justice through our words and by our actions, in the public arena and in our individual lives. We are responsible to hold accountable those in positions of power, and to support one another in our wholehearted commitment to the values we share in common, those perennial values that sustain civilization. All of our traditions affirm the Golden Rule, rising authoritarianism is trampling upon that rule, and bringing suffering to countless persons. Across our diverse traditions, we share the conviction that: 1) every person has inherent dignity, 2) every person deserves what Dr. King called “beloved community,” 3) every person is unique and diverse, and that diversity should be honored, here, there, and everywhere. Compassion is not selective, and justice should not be blindsided. When any person is dehumanized through policy, rhetoric, or violence, the fabric of our shared humanity is torn apart. We are all diminished. When any person is disrespected by prejudice, bias, and bigotry we are all the victims. We hope that you understand clearly the peril that we face together. Authoritarian movements depend on division and fear. They seek to turn neighbor against neighbor and to misuse religion as a tool of exclusion. Yet across the globe, people of conscience are choosing another path: standing together across differences, protecting one another’s rights, caring for the Earth, and insisting that no human being is disposable, that every person is irreplaceable and of infinite value. If the events of the 20th century did not convince you of the issues we face as a species, what will it take? Authentic religious freedom cannot exist where one worldview is elevated above all others or where dissent is punished or where retribution guides policy. Authentic religious freedom cannot exist where tribalism and nationalism are embraced. Religious freedom thrives only in pluralism, rooted not in mere tolerance, but in mutual acceptance, responsibility and care for the least among us. We stand at a crossroads. The choices we make now will shape the world future generations inherit. If authoritarianism feeds on fear and isolation, our answer must be love and connection. If authoritarianism thrives on despair, our answer must be hope made visible. If authoritarianism seeks to silence moral conscience, our answer must be courageous presence. 

The political is personal because policies touch bodies, families, and the future; every person matters. We ask you to see beyond your personal boundaries and to assume responsibility for the wellbeing of every person. In Africa, the indigenous culture affirms: “I Am because We Are, and We Are because I Am.” This philosophy informs all of the great spiritual traditions of the planet. May we each take responsibility for recognizing our collective existence and interdependence, not only to each other as a species, but to all life. May we each take responsibility for recognizing the intrinsic spiritual dignity of each and every person. The Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada, a Cooperation Circle of the United Religions Initiative, a party to the Parliament of World Religions.