Islamophobia
Islamophobia can best be described as a fear of Muslims and Islam or discrimination against those who practice Islam. To eradicate Islamophobia in the U.S., both non-Muslims and Muslims alike must do more than just acknowledge the discrimination that Muslims face: we must examine our own biases, evaluate Western media from a critical lens and educate ourselves about Islam and the values that comprise the religion.
Antisemitism
Antisemitism is open hostility, discrimination, or prejudice towards Jews or the Jewish faith. In Salt Lake City, a man scratched a swastika into the front door of an Orthodox synagogue in the early morning hours of May 16, 2021. “This was the kind of thing that would never happen in Salt Lake City,” said Rabbi Avremi Zippel, whose parents founded Chabad Lubavitch of Utah almost 30 years ago. “But it’s on the rise around the country.”
Homophobia
Many LGBT Americans still face legal and social challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents, particularly in states with large conservative populations, such as in the Deep South; in rural areas; and in some Native American tribal nations. In many states and municipalities, LGBT Americans are legally protected from discrimination in employment, housing, and access to public accommodations, though many still lack comprehensive legal protections from discrimination at the Federal level.
Advocacy
We work directly with religious and belief leaders of all backgrounds to address human rights. Too often human rights violations can be perpetrated by religious and belief leaders or in religious settings. We seek to prevent and stop all human rights violations from occurring and help survivors of human rights violations heal with their religious and belief communities. Freedom of religion or belief is not unconstrained, and can only be protected within the legal framework of human rights.