An interfaith press conference sponsored by the group Church World Service on Wednesday blasted lawmakers and governors who say they will not shelter Syrian refugees.
Speaking at the National Press Club, the group heralded the United States as “the land of the free, a country built by immigrants and refugees.”
“Next week we will celebrate the most American of holidays, Thanksgiving,” Sister Marie Lucey of the Franciscan Action Network said. “Remembering people who fled religious persecution, and were welcomed here by Native Americans.”
At issue was the proposal by some U.S. politicians to allow only Christians seeking to resettle from Syria and other war-torn Middle Eastern nations being attacked by the Islamic State.
The West is reeling from Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris that killed 129 people, prompting French President Francois Hollande to pledge a war that will be “pitiless.”
“It is appalling that some political leaders call for an end to refugee resettlement or restrict resettlement based on religion, or country of origin. This is not who we are as Americans,” Lucey added.
“My friends, when the Constitution says there should no religious test for office, it means no religious test. When the president says there will be no religious test for our compassion, it means, no religious test,” Rabbi Jack Moline added. “When I suggest to you that there should be no religious test for the humanity of a refugee from oppression, it means no religious test.”
Republican presidential candidates Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz have indicated support for restricting refugees.
“We can’t roll the dice with the safety of Americans and bring in people for whom there is an unacceptable risk that they could be jihadists coming here to kill Americans,” Cruz said Sunday. “We should focus our efforts as it relates to refugees on the Christians that are being slaughtered.”
Bush said Tuesday that he supports the Republican governors who have pledged not to allow Syrian refugees into their states, but indicated a support for a Christian exception.
“I think they’re doing the right thing because they haven’t gotten any information about what the screening process is,” Bush said. “At a minimum we ought to be bringing in people that have — orphans or people that clearly aren’t going to be terrorists. Or Christians.”
“I mean you can prove you’re a Christian,” Bush said.
