Christian leaders in America have denounced a Republican congressman's suggestion that people 'hunt' and 'kill' anyone they suspect of being a radicalised Muslim.
In the wake of the London Bridge attack that left seven people dead and 48 injured, Clay Higgins, representing Louisiana, wrote on his Facebook page: 'Hunt them, identity [sic] them, and kill them. Kill them all. For the sake of all that is good and righteous. Kill them all.'
Higgins, a former police captain who says he is a Christian, wrote: 'The free world... all of Christendom... is at war with Islamic horror. Not one penny of American treasure should be granted to any nation who harbours these heathen animals. Not a single radicalised Islamic suspect should be granted any measure of quarter. Their intended entry to the American homeland should be summarily denied. Every conceivable measure should be engaged to hunt them down. Hunt them, identify them, and kill them. Kill them all. For the sake of all that is good and righteous. Kill them all.'
The Huffington Post approached Christian leaders and others who rebuked the statement. 'It would be hard to find a statement more antithetical to Christianity, or more lacking in the most elementary understanding of Jesus,' said James Martin, Jesuit priest and author of Building a Bridge.
'Jesus didn't say, "Hate your enemies." He said, "Love your enemies." He didn't say, "Hunt down your persecutors." He said, "Pray for your persecutors,"' Martin continued. 'And what did Jesus do to those who nailed him to the Cross? He forgave them. Mercy and forgiveness are hard teachings, but they are clear ones.'
Dr. Katharine R. Henderson, a minister and president of the Auburn Seminary, said: 'No one who calls himself a Christian can utter the words that...Clay Higgins wrote about Muslims. As a Christian minister, I denounce his words in the strongest terms. Jesus, Himself, would never have condoned such a statement. What we need from our leaders ― political, religious, and otherwise ― is maturity and forbearance, not hateful rhetoric that stokes fear, hatred, and violence.'
Jacqueline Lewis, senior minister at Middle Collegiate Church in New York City, said that the congressman's message could be summed up with one word: hatred. She said: 'Here is the thing about hatred. It hides in plain sight. It comes dressed in all hues. It masquerades in all of our religions. This horrible violence is no more Islam than the enslavement of Africans was Christian. ISIL is no more Muslim than the KKK is Christian... Any person who claims faith in God as motivation for the kind of hatred and violence exhibited by ISIL and in this irresponsible rant by Congressman Clay is not being honest about God as their motivation. This is about fear, retribution, disregard for human life, and violence.'
Heidi Beirich, the head of the Intelligence Project at Southern Poverty Law Center, branded Higgins's comments 'outrageous' and 'the height of irresponsibility'.
Beirich added: 'He's treating every single Muslim as though they're a terrorist. This kind of talk opens wide the possibility for hate crimes. It's racist. It's wrong. And it could lead to violence.'
Catherine Orsborn, campaign director for the pro-Muslim campaign group Shoulder To Shoulder, said that Higgins's declaration 'demonstrates an alarming misunderstanding of the issue' and 'betrays American values'.
She added: 'For politicians to try to turn us against one another is counter-productive and dangerous. This is not a battle between Christians and Muslims, or between "Christendom" and "Islamic horror". All humans who value dignity and equality should and do stand against horrific acts of violence like this one, just like all humans who value dignity and equality should stand against acts of violence coming from white supremacists or anti-Muslim extremists (like the recent horrific incident in Portland).'
The Huffington Post obtained a further statement from Higgins that did not clarify how he thinks people should identify radicalised Islamic suspects in order to kill them.
The additional statement read: 'We are a world at war. The enemy is radicalised Islamic jihadists. The terrorists certainly take advantage of the politically correct madness that consumes the West. They revel, that many in the western world are frightened to speak freely. I've never been accused of being politically correct. I call things the way I see them. The meaning of candid speech is frequently mischaracterised or misunderstood. This is about prioritizing national security and protecting American lives. Every measure must be taken to eliminate radical Islamic terrorism and the threat it poses to the free world. My only concern is protecting the people that live in my district, my state, and my country. We must stand strong against radical Islamic terror. The fate of the free world will be determined by the courageous, not by the intimidated.'
Last year, The Huffington Post tracked 385 anti-Muslim acts in the US, ranging from verbal harassment to physical abuse.
'As a Christian, I want my American Muslim neighbors to know that I stand with them against violence and extremism in all its forms, and I will continue to work alongside so many others to live into our national ideals,' Orsborn added. 'We all want a country where no one is afraid to walk down the streets.'
Henderson concluded: 'We reach out to Muslim neighbours in this country and around the world, as well as to the people of London, with compassion and in solidarity, as together we seek to create the world of inclusivity and human flourishing that God intends.'
