114 Results

ACT for America

Profile

ACT for America is the largest anti-Muslim group in the United States, with a purported 750,000 members nationwide. ACT propagates the hateful conspiracy theory that Muslims are infiltrating US institutions in order to impose Sharia law. ACT stokes irrational fear of Muslims via a number of false claims, including that headscarves are a sign of radicalization, and that 25 percent of Muslims approve of terrorism. ACT founder Brigitte Gabriel is a leading voice in the fight against…

June 28, 2017

ADL Disappointed By Supreme Court Decision That Weakens Wall Between Church and State

Press Release

New York, NY, June 26, 2017 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed disappointment with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Comer, which held that Missouri’s decision to exclude houses of worship, including Trinity Lutheran, from a program that provided direct grants to pay for playground resurfacing materials was unconstitutional discrimination against religion. ADL had joined an amicus brief, with seven other groups,…

June 26, 2017

5 Things to Know about the Jewish High Holidays

Tools and Strategies

For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the High Holidays, are celebrated by Jewish people all over the world. The High Holidays fall on different days each year. For the specific dates each year, check our Calendar of Observances. These and other Jewish holidays fall on different days in our calendar because they follow the Jewish calendar, which has a different number of days than our calendar. The Jewish calendar is a Soli-lunar calendar.&nbsp…

June 06, 2017

Mexican Foreign Secretary Assures ADL His Government Will Redouble Efforts to Reduce Prejudice and Defend Immigrant Rights

Press Release

New York, NY, May 16, 2017 … In a meeting with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Mexico’s foreign secretary emphasized his commitment to working for the protection of the rights and dignity of the Mexican community in the United States and pledged to redouble his government’s efforts to fight discrimination and prejudice. Secretary of Foreign Affairs Luis Videgaray Caso met on May 11 with Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director, in Mexico City, where he and…

May 16, 2017

Unconstitutional Backdoor School Prayer Bill Will Have Unintended Consequences

Article

May 12, 2017 The Florida Legislature recently enacted a back door school prayer bill – Senate Bill 436, the so-called "Florida Student and School Personnel Religious Liberties Act," which the Governor is expected to sign. It is intended to do an end run around U.S. Supreme Court decisions barring school-sponsored prayer in K-12 public schools. Senate Bill 436 (“SB 436”) is unnecessary, raises serious constitutional issues, and creates a legal quagmire for Florida…

May 12, 2017

Listen to the Voices of Immigrant and Muslim Youth

Article

April 04, 2017 The past two years have been challenging for certain groups of people, especially those targeted during the 2016 presidential election campaign with taunts, verbal attacks, name-calling and threats. Now that the election is over, those threats have resulted in proposed policy, legislation and executive orders affecting those very same people. This has left many—especially immigrants and Muslim people—feeling fearful, on edge, marginalized and worried about their…

April 04, 2017

Executive Order on “Sanctuary Cities” Will Make All of Us Less Safe, ADL Says

Press Release

New York, NY, March 30, 2017 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has filed an amicus brief in San Francisco v. Trump urging a federal court in California to block enforcement of the President’s executive order withholding federal funds from “sanctuary cities.” Sanctuary cities follow specific policies and practices that keep local police out of federal immigration enforcement with the aim of building and maintaining trust with immigrant communities. “It is…

March 30, 2017

ADL Statement for House Judiciary Subcommittee Hearings on Religious Liberty

Letter

February 16, 2017 The Honorable Steve King Chair House Judiciary Subcommittee on the on the Constitution and Civil Justice U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable Steve Cohen Ranking Member House Judiciary Subcommittee on the on the Constitution and Civil Justice U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Chairman King and Ranking Member Cohen: We write to provide the views of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for…

February 16, 2017

Distribution of Religious Materials and Proselytizing by Outside Groups and Individuals

Tools and Strategies

For Educators Individuals, including parents, and groups who have no formal relationship to a school (Third Parties) may distribute religious materials, including Bibles, to students outside of school premises. They may also discuss religious matters with students. Third-party materials or publications of a religious viewpoint may be distributed on- campus to the same extent distribution of third-party secular materials is permitted. However, courts have applied different rules to…

March 05, 2017

Release Time Programs

Tools and Strategies

For Educators Release time in the public schools refers to programs in which students are released from school early to attend religious classes off school premises. Participating students must have permission from their parents. Nonparticipating students remain in school. Such programs may be constitutional if the religious classes take place off school grounds, if no public school funds are expended, and if school officials or teachers do not promote program attendance through coercion or…

March 04, 2017

Religion in the Curriculum

Tools and Strategies

For Educators Public schools may not teach religion, although teaching about religion in a secular context is permitted.1 The Bible may be taught in a school, but only for its historical, cultural or literary value and never in a devotional, celebratory or doctrinal manner, or in such a way that encourages acceptance of the Bible as a religious document.2 SPECIFIC ISSUES & QUESTIONS What distinguishes "teaching religion" from "teaching about religion"? Religion may be presented…

March 03, 2017

ADL: All U.S. Governors Should Follow Governor Cuomo’s Lead on Action Plan to Address Bias-Motivated Incidents

Press Release

Welcomes Governor’s Proposed Actions to Protect Civil Rights for All New Yorkers New York, NY, November 21, 2016 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today welcomed New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed three-part action plan in an effort to address and combat the recent wave of bias-motivated incidents, including harassment and violence throughout the state. Speaking at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem on November 21, Governor Cuomo announced the creation of a new…

November 21, 2016

How Can I Plan Inclusive Holiday Celebrations?

Tools and Strategies

For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers Most people love a celebration! Adults flutter around busily preparing for the festivities. Children are abuzz with excitement. Special foods are eaten, special heirlooms brought down from the shelf. Traditions are passed down from generation to generation. While children should have an opportunity to learn about and share information about the important holidays and celebrations in their lives, celebrating specific holidays in a school or…

November 21, 2016

ADL: The Mikvah Law Misuses State-Funded Facilities to Discriminate Against Non-Orthodox Jews

Press Release

Jerusalem, July 27, 2016 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today strongly condemned passage in the Knesset of the “mikvah law,” which bars the ritual immersion of converts by non-Orthodox rabbis in public mikvahs (ritual baths), saying that it is using a state-funded facilities to discriminate. Immersion in the mikvah is the final step in the process of converting to Judaism. The law, initiated by MK Moshe Gafni, strives to override the Israeli Supreme Court…

July 27, 2016

ADL Strongly Condemns Rejection of Prominent New York Rabbi by Israel’s Supreme Rabbinical Court

Press Release

New York, NY, July 14, 2016 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today strongly condemned the decision by Israel’s Supreme Rabbinical court to reject the authority of prominent New York Orthodox Rabbi Haskel Lookstein by invalidating his conversion of an American woman to Judaism. ADL called the court’s decision a “slap in the face” to American Jewry, including those who have chosen to join the Jewish people, and said it highlights just how extreme the Israeli…

July 14, 2016

ADL to Supreme Court: States Can Provide Broader Church-State Separation

Press Release

New York, NY, July 5, 2016 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today joined a friend-of-the court brief to the U.S. Supreme Court defending a Missouri constitutional provision that provides broader separation of church and state than the U.S. Constitution. In the case titled, Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Parker, the State denied direct grants to houses of worship under this provision. “The petitioner is seeking an unprecedented ruling from the Court that…

July 05, 2016

ADL Hails Supreme Court Ruling on Abortion as a Win for Reproductive Justice and Gender Equality

Press Release

New York, NY, June 27, 2016 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today hailed the Supreme Court’s historic 5-3 decision in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, which struck down a Texas anti-abortion law. The law, HB2, would have effectively barred many women, particularly women in poverty and women of color, from exercising their constitutional right to an abortion. “The court’s decision appropriately recognizes the real-life impact of HB2 on access to…

June 27, 2016

Supreme Court Immigration Ruling Leaves Millions of Families in Limbo, ADL Says

Press Release

New York, NY, June 23, 2016 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed deep disappointment about the Supreme Court’s 4-4 split in U.S. v. Texas, which leaves in place an injunction blocking relief from deportation for certain immigrants who are parents of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, as well as people who were brought to the U.S. as children. “We were hopeful this case would provide relief to families and protections for immigrants, but there is…

June 23, 2016

ADL Disappointed by Supreme Court Decision That Further Delays Implementation of Contraception Mandate

Press Release

Urges Quick Resolution by Lower Courts Washington, D.C., May 16, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed disappointment with the U.S. Supreme Court’s sidestepping on the legality of the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate opt-out provision for religiously affiliated groups. This provision both accommodates religiously affiliated employers and ensures their female employees have access to no-cost prescription contraception insurance coverage…

May 16, 2016

ICOM Joins Legal Brief in Support of Islamic Society of Basking Ridge

Press Release

Says Town’s Rejection of Mosque Construction “Troubling” and “Simply Unacceptable” New York, NY, May 11, 2016 … The Interfaith Coalition on Mosques (ICOM) today joined a friend-of-the court brief filed on behalf of a coalition of civil rights and interfaith organizations in support of The Islamic Society of Basking Ridge (ISBR). Filed with a federal court in New Jersey, the brief asserts that the Township of Bernards discriminatorily denied the congregation…

May 11, 2016