Virginia Congressman Don Beyer has expressed his commitment to a multicultural American society with respect for diversity, as he reached out to the Muslims in the wake of an attack on a mosque in Falls Church.
“Intolerance and hatred have no place in American society,” said the Democratic Representative said about two weeks after after a local Northern Virginia Mosque, Dar Al-Hijrah, was attacked with Molotov cocktails and a hoax bomb.
“We are a diverse nation of immigrants whose shared cultural heritage is one of openness and inclusion. We must celebrate this diverse thread of our cultural cloth, not tear it apart,” Beyer said, according to a statement.
According to his office, Beyer, who represents the 8th District in the House, has along with Keith Ellison (D-MN), and Joe Crowley (D-NY) invited House colleagues urging them to visit the Falls Church mosque to participate in Friday prayers this week.
Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, Outreach Director for the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center, said, “Many in our community feel under siege in recent weeks. Women taking their children to school have been heckled by passersby, and we experienced two incidences of hate violence. It is with the support of good neighbors like Congressmen Beyer, Ellison, and Crowley that we carry on knowing that our future will be brighter.”
