However, Senator Sessions has only been
outspoken in his defense of religious freedom for some faiths. For
example, he denounced a 1997 court order that limited prayer in Alabama
public schools, calling it ``one more example of the effort by the
courts to eliminate the natural expression of religious belief from
public life.''
A year later, he introduced a Senate resolution ``affirming the right
to display the Ten Commandments in public places, including government
offices and courthouses.'' He said ``[w]e've got to end the hostility
toward the display of the Ten Commandments in public places.''
But he has been much more ambivalent about Islam. He has referred to
Islam as ``a toxic ideology'' and said of American Muslims ``our nation
has an unprecedented assimilation problem.'' When President Trump first
proposed his ban on Muslim immigrants during the 2016 campaign, Senator
Sessions said, ``I think it's appropriate to begin to discuss this, and
he has forced that discussion.''
I am also concerned about Senator Sessions' support of laws and cases
that permit individuals and companies to discriminate against other
Americans on the basis of religious beliefs. For example, in 2015, the
Supreme Court held that marriage equality is the law of the land in the
landmark Obergefell v. Hodges decision.
Identified stereotypes
Islam is referred to as a "toxic ideology" and American Muslims are said to have an "unprecedented assimilation problem."
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immigrants