The idea of a Muslim database arose a year ago, when Donald Trump told a reporter he would certainly implement that. Jonathan Greenblatt, head of the Jewish Anti-Defamation League, said that he would register as a Muslim in a sign of support and solidarity with Muslims. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is an international Jewish non-governmental organization based in the United States. The ADL states that it "fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects civil rights for all", doing so through "information, education, legislation, and advocacy."
Jonathan Greenblatt said at the group’s Never is Now conference on anti-Semitism held in New York City: "If one day Muslim Americans will be forced to register their identities, then that is the day that this proud Jew will register as a Muslim".
He pointed out that belonging to the Jewish community means that you know what it is when you apply a litmus test based on faith -- when you identify people and tag them based on faith. "When you take one group and make all of them suspect. I feel we have more obligations to speak out," he added.
In a statement on Thursday, a spokesman for the Trump transition team said that Mr Trump had "never advocated for any registry or system that tracks individuals based on their religion, and to imply otherwise is completely false". Many people on social media, as an echo to Jonathan Greenblatt’s solidarity with Muslims, took up the hash tag #NeverIsNow. “Never is now” refers to the “never again” vow (“never again” is also the motto of the Jewish Defense League) made by Jews after World War Two, when they promised never to stay silent in the face of persecution.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), an American nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation, reported 437 separate incident of intimidation between the election on 8 November and 14 November, targeting ethnic minorities, Muslims, immigrants, women, and the LGBT community. US Attorney General Loretta Lynch urged the public to keep reporting such incidents, "so that our career investigators and prosecutors can take action to defend your rights".
Also, according to an FBI report released last week, hate crimes based on religion issues increased 23% between 2014 and 2015. This included a rise in reported anti-Jewish crimes, and a significant increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes. Greenblatt added that Americans must stand against all forms of discrimination regardless of which group it targets.
Photo Credits: University of Pennsylvania, Wharton
