Washington, D.C. — After the mass shootings at two mosques in New Zealand, Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, released the following statement:
On behalf of the Center for American Progress, I want to convey our shock and sadness at the horrific killing of Muslims at their places of worship in Christchurch, New Zealand. This abhorrent act of terrorism shows that violent, right-wing extremism is a serious and growing threat—both around the world and at home. This is just the latest in a long string of deadly incidents and rise in hate crimes inspired by far-right extremism and white nationalist ideology. It is time for our nation’s leaders to recognize that hateful rhetoric—including the president’s own words—can lead to the promotion of conspiracy theories, the demonization of immigrants and minorities, and, ultimately, to violence. The Trump administration must acknowledge the severity of the threat from violent right-wing extremism, denounce the rise of white nationalism, and reverse course from a policy of ignoring all but Islamic extremism. We stand with the Christchurch Muslim community and all New Zealanders in their time of mourning and pledge our support to combat anti-Muslim hate. No one should fear for their safety just because of what they look like or how they choose to pray.
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