DALLAS— The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, in partnership with other federal agencies, hosted a community roundtable in Dallas last week that focused on religiously-motivated hate violence and hate crimes, protecting places of worship, and ways the federal government can improve its efforts in these critically important areas, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
“The diversity and tolerance of the north Texas area can be seen reflected in our many and varied faith-based communities,” said U.S. Attorney Parker. “The one thing we cannot, must not, tolerate, however, is hate directed at someone solely because they are different. It is particularly repugnant to our core values as Americans to victimize a person or group because of their faith. In fact, it is our shared duty to ensure that everyone, not just those who think like us, is free to worship as they choose and do so in peace.”
Approximately 35 representatives from Dallas - Fort Worth area faith-based community and civil rights organizations as well as several government agencies attended the roundtable that was facilitated by U.S. Attorney Parker. Enthusiastic dialogue during the roundtable will guide stakeholders in identifying next steps, as well as short and long-term goals.
A guest at the roundtable, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom of the District of Kansas, spoke about the April 2014 shooting deaths of three people outside Jewish facilities in Overland Park, Kansas, and the resulting aftermath. Grissom also spoke about the statement he made to Kansans after a series of crimes in the U.S. against Muslims and mosques followed the Paris and San Bernardino, California, terrorist attacks, asking them to not let fear drive them to hateful and divisive acts toward Muslims.
This roundtable is the second in a series of roundtables being held throughout the U.S. as part of the Department’s new interagency community engagement initiative designed to promote religious freedom, challenge religious discrimination and enhance enforcement of religion-based hate crimes. This new initiative supplements the Department’s long-standing criminal and civil enforcement efforts to prevent religious discrimination and religion-motivated hate crimes.
# # #