A local religious group, Mercy Junction and Peace Center, has condemned comments by Sheriff Jim Hammond on Muslims and asked for an apology.
The group said, "People of all faiths, or of no faith, are invited to join Mercy Junction in front of the Islamic Society of Chattanooga for prayers on Friday afternoon. "Prayers In Solidarity" will take place outside the Islamic Society at the same time the Muslim community has Friday afternoon Jumu'ah prayers inside. The "Prayers In Solidarity" service has been coordinated with the director of the Islamic Society, who welcomed people of all faiths and their support of the Muslim community in Chattanooga.
"With the "Prayers In Solidarity" service, we wish to express to our Muslim sisters and brothers, in the wake of bigoted and hateful comments by Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond during the last week, that we are in solidarity with them and that we value and love them as part of our community. We also wish to express to public officials that when the religious freedoms of one community are threatened, it is a threat to all the faithful and we will stand in solidarity together.
"Mercy Junction Justice and Peace Center strongly condemns the ill-informed, inaccurate and inflammatory comments Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond made at the Pachyderm Club. Not only were the comments bigoted and hateful, they are dangerous to the liberty of a religious community within Hamilton County. Residents of Hamilton County should have confidence that all religions are protected under our shared guaranteed constitutional freedoms. It is an inherent danger when armed agents of the government condemn a religion practiced by the people they serve. Singling out a particular religious community for persecution by county officials is reprehensible and the height of immorality.
"Mercy Junction calls on:
"1) Sheriff Hammond to issue an unambiguous apology to our Muslim brothers and sisters that includes assurances that their religious freedoms will not be restrained by the religious prejudices of county officers.
"2) The Hamilton County Republican Party to affirm the free practices of all religions and condemn the dangerous rhetoric of Sheriff Hammond."