Refugees ARE NOT terrorists

Republicans are telling people to be afraid of refugees. But over the last 40 years, America has taken in 2.5 million refugees.

Dear MoveOn member,

The Paris attacks have sparked a massive wave of anti-Muslim bigotry.

We need to speak out against this racist, xenophobic backlash. Now.

At least 29 Republican governors—and even one Democrat—say they want to close their states to Syrian refugees.¹ Indiana's governor has already turned a family away.² Presidential candidates are talking about shutting down mosques and discriminating against refugees on the basis of religion.^3,4 A state senator in Tennessee is proposing rounding up all Syrian refugees in the state.⁵

And now Republicans in Congress are threatening to cut off funding for refugee assistance while 4 million Syrian refugees are begging for help.⁶

This is immoral. And stupid. Because shutting out refugees doesn't make America safer—just the opposite: it fuels hatred at home, and resentment and extremism around the world. Will you chip in $3 to help fight back?

Click here to chip in and help fight the GOP's racist, anti-refugee backlash.

The first thing we need to do is hold governors accountable for attacking refugees. We've launched rapid-response campaigns in all 30 states, calling their governors out for this xenophobic pandering. More than 115,000 MoveOn members have already joined the call to stop attacking refugee families.

Second, we need to block Republicans in Congress from defunding refugee resettlement. This is the most cynical, immoral act you could imagine in response to a refugee crisis of this scale, and we're flooding Capitol Hill with phone calls and petition signatures to stop it.

Finally, we need to show the world that the hate mongers and racists don't speak for us. So we're teaming up with allies on college campuses and mobilizing MoveOn members on social media to show the world that we are a welcoming nation—and to push back against anti-refugee and anti-Muslim vitriol.

But this xenophobic anti-refugee backlash has intensified fast, which is why we need to raise at least $150,000 to enable all this work. Will you chip in $3?

Yes, I'll chip in to stand with refugees and against anti-Muslim bigotry.

This is an incredibly dangerous moment for America. If we don't push back against this outpouring of hate, it could spiral out of control into a wave of hate crimes like what we saw after 9/11—or get us stuck in another foolish war.

Republicans are telling people to be afraid of refugees. But over the past 40 years, America has taken in 2.5 million refugees.⁷ Not one terrorist attack has been committed in America by a refugee.⁸ Even the reports that the Paris attackers included a Syrian refugee are likely false.⁹

The truth is, attacking refugees makes America LESS safe by feeding extremist propaganda as a massively chaotic situation spills from Syria into Europe.

But the American people are scared. And they're being misled by shameless politicians pandering to hate. That's why we need to fight back now, before this gets out of control.

Will you chip in $3 to help stand against the anti-refugee backlash?

Click here to chip in and join the fight.

Thanks for all you do.

–Anna, Brian, Corinne, Milan, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "30 Governors Call For Halt To U.S. Resettlement Of Syrian Refugees," National Public Radio, November 17, 2015
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=308235&id=135336-10220574-liu8hVx&t=1

2. "Syrian refugee family bound for Indiana forced to relocate after Gov. Pence's ban on refugees entering state," November 18, 2015
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=308270&id=135336-10220574-liu8hVx&t=2 

3. "A Complete Guide To How The GOP Candidates Reacted To Syrian Refugees After The Paris Attacks," ThinkProgress, November 17, 2015
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=308254&id=135336-10220574-liu8hVx&t=3

4. "Donald Trump: 'Strongly consider' shutting mosques," CNN, November 16, 2015
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=308255&id=135336-10220574-liu8hVx&t=4

5. "Tennessee GOP leader: Round up Syrian refugees, remove from state," The Tennessean, November 17, 2015
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=308256&id=135336-10220574-liu8hVx&t=5

6. "Syrian refugee fight sparks government shutdown threat," Politico, November 16, 2015
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=308257&id=135336-10220574-liu8hVx&t=6

7. "Refugee Resettlement in Metropolitan America," Migration Policy Institute, March 1, 2007
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=308258&id=135336-10220574-liu8hVx&t=7

8. "We risk more in not accepting Syrian refugees into the US," The Hill, October 29, 2015
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=308259&id=135336-10220574-liu8hVx&t=8

9. "Here's Why You Should Stop Worrying About Terrorists Entering The U.S. As Refugees," The Huffington Post, November 18, 2015
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=308260&id=135336-10220574-liu8hVx&t=9

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