Alaska Democrats Join Greg Jones’ Fight Against Demboski

Wednesday afternoon the Alaska Democratic Party waded into the controversy surrounding Anchorage Assemblywoman Amy Demboski’s posting to Facebook of a questionable Fox Business report showing a map of armed Islamic compounds in the U.S., including one in Alaska. In Demboski’s post, she also linked that report to Greg Jones, a Democratic candidate for State House in the Mat-Su, who is Muslim.

At Tuesday night’s Assembly meeting Mr. Jones and his wife demanded an apology from Demboski for her actions and asked her colleagues to punish her. Neither of those things happened.

Wednesday afternoon the Alaska Democratic Party released a statement saying their executive committee adopted a resolution “condemning anti-Muslim rhetoric”.

Though the resolution itself does not mention either Demboski or Jones, the press release announcing the resolution does. In that statement Alaska Democratic Party Chair Casey Steinau says:

“I am saddened and outraged by the recent insinuations against Greg Jones.  I know Greg and his wife personally and they are fine, upstanding people who care deeply about our community. I consider Greg to be one of the kindest people I know.”

“The Alaska Democratic Party opposes anti-Muslim rhetoric and believes that tolerance, understanding, religious liberty and unity are the best ways to attain peace. Our Executive Committee recently adopted the following resolution on this topic.”

Here is the full text of the Alaska Democratic Party resolution:

RESOLUTION CONDEMNING ANTI-MUSLIM RHETORIC

Adopted by ADP Executive Committee 9/20/16

WHEREAS the genesis of the United States of America was partially in creating a system of governance that not only encourages religious diversity, but enshrines religious liberty in its founding secular documents; and

WHEREAS From its earliest days the United States of America has been made stronger by the many diverse cultures and beliefs of its citizens; and

WHEREAS Increasingly anti-Muslim rhetoric, including the potential exclusion of Muslims based on their country of origin, or solely by virtue of their religion, has been voiced in the national immigration debate, and

WHEREAS Exclusionary and bigoted rhetoric against specific religions serves only to undermine the principles of our nation, and undermine a principle that serves to unify us all despite any differences of spirituality, and

BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska Democratic Party strongly voices its support for a core value of the founding of the United States, the freedom of religion, and further

BE IT RESOLVED the Alaska Democratic Party stands resolute with its Muslim brothers and sisters, and brothers and sisters of all faiths, in seeking “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”, and

BE IT RESOLVED the Alaska Democratic Party condemns anti-Muslim rhetoric, so-called ‘faith-based vetting’, and religious intolerance, and

BE IT RESOLVED that the Democratic Party strongly voices its support of our many cultures and beliefs and that tolerance, understanding, religious liberty and unity is the best way to attain peace, and

FINALLY BE IT RESOLVED The Alaska Democratic Party will work to defeat the efforts of those who would see us divided along the lines of religion.

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