Take Action! Senate to Hold Hearing on Hate Crimes

posted on: Sep 14, 2012

Given the significant rise in hate crimes and repeated attacks on places of worship, including the massacre at the Sikh Gurdwara in Wisconsin, the US Senate Committee on the Judiciary announced that it will hold a hearing entitled “Hate Crimes and the Threat of Domestic Extremism” on September 19, 2012 at 2:30pm EST.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), along with 150 organizations, sent a request that the Senate Judiciary Committee hold a hearing on hate crimes and hate groups in the United States.

The hearing will discuss the Matthew Shepard Act, hate crime reporting and data collection, improvements to prevent hate crimes, and other topics directly affecting Sikhs and minority communities. Testimony will be given from government officials, experts, and from various community witnesses, including a Sikh present at the Oak Creek shooting. Additionally, ADC will submit a statement for the record.

Take action! Also, if you are able to attend the hearing in Washington, DC you are strongly encouraged to do so.

This is a pivotal time for the community to speak with one voice. Your activism and presence at the hearing will show Congressional members how detrimental hate crimes are to the community and the strength of our determination to put a stop to violent extremism.

The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights will hold the hearing. It will take place in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 226.

Please contact legal@adc.org if you have any questions regarding the hearing.