Defending American Values

Listen to the press conference with national security experts and religious leaders

What's Happening: Unfortunately, some pundits and politicians continue to exploit a fear of Islam to stoke opposition to the Park51 Islamic Center near Ground Zero. Their vitriolic rhetoric has contributed to escalating hostility toward Park51 and Muslims across the U.S., fueling fierce local opposition to mosques in locations thousands of miles from Ground Zero, vandalism and arson of mosques, and the brutal stabbing of a Muslim cab driver in New York.

What We Did: In response to these disturbing developments, FPL organized a telephonic press conference featuring national security experts and faith leaders standing up for Park51 as an embodiment of the American values of religious freedom, pluralism and interreligious cooperation, and as a symbol that will stymie Al Qaeda recruitment. We lined up prominent leaders for the call, reached out to the media, developed and refined the message of the call, moderated the call, and followed up with press, earning media hits from CNN and the National Catholic Reporter within minutes of the call's conclusion.

Why It Matters Standing up not only for the right to build the project, but also actively encouraging its construction helped reframe the conversation--emphasizing the crucial need to embrace not only American rights, but also American values and national security. Bringing together military experts and faith leaders with a unified message helped amplify both voices countered the divisive rhetoric opposing the project.