16 January 2008
In the United States, the leaders of nine Jewish groups have released an open letter condemning what they called “hateful e-mails” that spread lies about Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama’s religious beliefs and his intentions. The anonymous e-mail messages have circulated for months, saying that Obama was a Muslim and carried a copy of the Koran when he was sworn in at the United States Senate. The e-mail has been so persistent that Obama was asked about it at a Democratic presidential candidates’ debate in Nevada. He replied: “I am a Christian. I have been sworn in with a Bible. I pledge allegiance and lead the Pledge of Allegiance sometimes in the United States Senate, when I’m presiding.”
The Jewish leaders were apparently responding to reports that the e-mail was now being deliberately spread among Jews. In the letter, they said that the “hateful e-mails use falsehood and innuendo to mischaracterize Senator Barack Obama’s religious beliefs and who he is as a person,” and that they were an “attempt to drive a wedge between our community and a presidential candidate based on despicable and false attacks and innuendo based on religion.”
“Attempts of this sort to mislead and inflame voters should not be part of our political discourse and should be rebuffed by all who believe in our democracy,” the letter said. “Jewish voters, like all voters, should support whichever candidate they believe would make the best president.” The leaders said their organizations would not endorse or oppose any presidential candidate. The letter was signed by William Daroff, vice president of United Jewish Communities, Nathan J. Diament, director of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America; Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, Richard S. Gordon, president of the American Jewish Congress, David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee, Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Phyllis Snyder, president of the National Council of Jewish Women, and Hadar Susskind, Washington director of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs.
