The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is joining with the Jewish Action Alliance and other civil rights organizations in condemning the hatred of spokesmen for the Nation of Islam. The following remarks will be delivered at a press conference on January 25th in New York City.

Dr. William A. Donohue, president of the Catholic League, listed the League’s concerns:

“The Catholic League is delighted to join with the Jewish Action Alliance and other civil rights organizations in denouncing the hatred and bigotry of spokesmen for the Nation of lslam. Louis Farrakhan has had plenty of time to respond to the Nazi-like speech that Khalid Abdul Muhammad delivered at Kean College on November 29th, but has thus far refused to do so.

“Mr. Muhammad’s speech was indistinguishable from the rantings of Nazis and Klansmen over the years. Blaming Jews for every conceivable social ill, and casting Jews as one big cabal working to undermine liberty, is something right out of the Third Reich. The statements made about Catholics, and especially Pope John Paul II (e.g.’ somebody need [sic] to raise that dress up and see what’s really under there’), were vile and disgusting. Similarly, the comments made about whites and homosexuals were equally irresponsible.

“Unless Mr. Farrakhan quickly moves to silence Mr. Muhammad, the public will have no other choice than to assume complicity on the part of the Nation of Islam itself.

“The Catholic League is proud to join with the Jewish Action Alliance in bringing down the wrath of public opinion on Mr. Muhammad. If amicable relationships are to be maintained among the multiplicity of racial, ethnic and religious groups that constitute the United States, then men and women of good will must register their outrage at those who would sow the seeds of racial and religious hatred.”

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is the nation’s largest Catholic civil rights organization. It defends the right of Catholics–lay and clergy alike–to participate in American life without defamation or discrimination.

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is gravely concerned about the nature of recent government anti-AIDS programs.

In a statement released today, Dr. William A. Donohue, president of the Catholic League, presented the organization’s position:

“The central problem with many recent government anti-AIDS programs is that they undermine the right of Catholic parents to socialize their children according to the teachings of their Church and according to the precepts of their convictions. Catholic parents who are faithful to Church teachings, as well as non-Catholics who happen to agree with the conclusions of Catholic doctrine, have every right to decide what, when and how their children learn about sexuality. Tragically, there is evidence that at every level of government, parental rights are being eviscerated by public policy makers.

“For example, we now have the spectacle of the federal government sponsoring the sale of condoms–complete with explicit appeals to moral neutrality–in radio and television spots across the nation. It will not do to say that the ads, some of which are downright vulgar and sensationalistic, are designed to appeal to the 18-25 year-old set. There is no way the feds can monitor who hears and sees the ads and that is why Catholic parents have every right to complain about government usurpation of their authority.

“In the states, there is the example of the Department of Public Health in Massachusetts aligning itself with Planned Parenthood to devise a comprehensive sex education program. Not only do the curricula proposals obviate the will of Catholic parents, the conference proceedings that led to these proposals were laced with anti-Catholic and anti-Christian references.

“And at the local level, New York City has now embarked on an aggressive subway poster campaign, extending to Gay Men’s Health Crisis the right to display its ads without paying for anything but an installation fee. Catholic parents, obviously, can no more stop their children from seeing these ads–all of which are characteristically provocative–than they can any others. As any New Yorker will testify, those who ride subways constitute a captive audience and cannot easily choose which ads to read.

“‘The problem, in short, is the diminution of rights exercised by Catholic parents. An important exercise of religious freedom is the right of parents to inculcate their religious values into their children. While no right is absolute, the degree to which government anti-AIDS programs have trespassed on these rights is alarming.

“So as not to be misunderstood, the Catholic League fully supports anti-AIDS efforts. But it also believes that Catholic parental rights should not be jettisoned in the process.’

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is the nation’s largest Catholic civil rights organization.

It defends the right of all Catholics–lay and clergy alike–to participate in American life without defamation or discrimination.