Here's a bit more information on the meeting yesterday between religious leaders – including the Baptist Joint Committee's Brent Walker – and Justice Department officials urging vigilance in the face of rising anti-Islamic sentiment.
Representatives from the Interfaith Alliance, Muslim Advocates, and the Religious Action Center of Reformed Judaism were also part of the contingent that called on Attorney General Eric Holder to "take specific actions…as soon as possible to protect and preserve religious freedoms and the rights of all Americans, including millions of Muslims, to live and practice their faith freely, without fear of violence or intimidation":
Make a Public Statement…condemning hate crimes and other forms of harassment and discrimination targeting the Muslim and other faith communities…
Lead a Coordinated Federal Response…to defuse tensions where incidents have already occurred and in areas where incitement activities are expected to take place…
Utilize recently-passed federal Hate Crimes Law… to help (state and local jurisdictions) to more effectively investigate and prosecute hate crimes…
Create a Civil Rights Division Hotline for Reporting Hate Crimes…for the receipt, referral and tracking of all civil rights complaints.
Those are just thumbnail sketches of the actions being requested of the DOJ. Read the entire press release, with more detail, here (pdf).
