In recent months and years, we have watched with increasing distress as American Muslims have been maligned and attacked as a community. American Muslims have been made to feel at best unwelcome and at worst un-American. They have had their patriotism questioned and their citizenship suspected.

As followers of Jesus, these attacks sound all too familiar to us. Our history, both in this country and in others, has been marked by too many episodes of similar rhetoric, including vilification, demonization, and delegitimization as citizens.

Unfortunately, our history, both in this country and others, has been also marked by too many episodes of our own commission of such sins. We aim to be on the right side of this issue. To whatever extent we have, as individuals or a community, been on the wrong side of these issues in the past, we ask for the forgiveness of those injured. We offer our forgiveness to any who have injured us.

The values of Jesus and the virtues of the American tradition demand that we raise our voices against the fear-mongering and hate that have been directed at our fellow citizens. We affirm the rights of all Muslims to all rights and privileges granted to all citizens of this great country of ours.

Invoking our shared Abrahamic heritage and our commitment to American values, we write today as members of the American Christian community to affirm, in unequivocal terms, that we stand in solidarity with American Muslims.

We condemn attacks on the Muslim community, both in word and in deed, for they are attacks on us and on all Americans.

We pledge to speak of and work with American Muslims just as we do with our fellow American Christians and all other citizens, regardless of race or creed: respectfully, both when we agree and when we disagree.

We hope that our example will inspire our fellow Christians and our fellow Americans to speak and act in the same spirit.