Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) on Friday gathered with leaders from different religions to stand up for religious freedom, amid new concerns that Muslims are under fire.
Warner chose to stand in front of a statue of Thomas Jefferson in Richmond, Va., recalling what the founding father wrote about religious freedom and adding that “some would say those freedoms are under attack today,” the Washington Post reported.
{mosads}“We want to stand up and reaffirm the principles that make America unique,” Warner said.
Warner avoided mentioning specific instances of threats to religious freedom at the event with Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders.
The speech came days after GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump called for a complete ban on Muslims coming to the United States after recent attacks attacks in San Bernardino, Calif., and Paris, perpetrated by Islamic extremists.
Virginia has seen its fair share of threats and attacks on Muslims recently, including graffiti at Virginia Tech reading “kill all Muslims” and a fake bomb at a mosque, the Post said.
“I understand that Virginians and Americans are afraid,” Warner said, according to the Post.
He also asked the Muslim community to help fight terrorism, urging local Muslims to contact law enforcement if they suspect someone is being radicalized.