03/11/2026
For Immediate Release:
South Carolina Faith Groups and Leaders Denounce Hateful Comments
COLUMBIA--Interfaith Partners of South Carolina issues the following statement in response to recent news of public comments by a member of Congress which denigrate the religion of Islam.
Our nation was founded, as we all know, on the principle that all people are created equal. We also have a long tradition of religious freedom—a freedom enshrined in the Bill of Rights.
Congressman Andy Ogles (R-TN) has urged that those who belong to a particular religious tradition, Islam, don’t belong in our country. He is not the only member of Congress who has engaged in Islamophobic speech this year.
We members of Interfaith Partners of South Carolina insist that this type of prejudicial thinking is un-American. It is, furthermore, offensive to us, to our friends, and to our neighbors. We know from experience that pluralism is an asset to our society and our differences enrich us.
We call on all elected officials, not just Representative Ogles, to refrain from promotion of religious prejudice, xenophobia and racism through hateful statements. Fear of our neighbors is not the way to strengthen American society.
Interfaith Partners of South Carolina (IPSC) is a statewide organization with representation from many religions, including Buddhist, Christian, Baha’i’, Muslim, Unitarian Universalist, Jewish, Pagan, Hindu, Native American Spirituality, New Thought-Unity, and Sikh religious representatives.
The mission of Interfaith Partners of South Carolina is to foster understanding and cooperation among the religious groups of the state through education, dialogue and collaborative projects, in order to assure that: all people are treated with dignity and respect; the religious freedom of all groups is protected; each religious group's practices and teachings are given respectful consideration; and interfaith discussions will become conversation models that others will want to emulate.
For more information, contact [email protected], or 803 422-4565.
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