SAN DIEGO, CA — The ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties is outraged to learn that a young Muslim woman was assaulted and robbed in San Diego yesterday afternoon. The report that her attackers also made comments about Donald Trump is especially troubling in light of Mr. Trump’s frequent use of both anti-Muslim and misogynistic rhetoric while on the campaign trail.

We condemn this rhetoric and this behavior. We call on President-elect Trump to do the same. We call on all San Diegans, Californians, and Americans to reject all forms of anti-Muslim bigotry, and to challenge speech and actions that single others out based solely on their religion or heritage.

Muslim Americans and residents are an integral part of California’s rich cultural fabric. Like every Californian, they have the right to practice our religion freely and openly, to live and work without fear, and to participate fully and equally in public life. To treat them otherwise is both un-American and a direct contradiction of the values enshrined in our founding documents and our laws.

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