Statement on Recent Events Surrounding the White House Religious Liberty Commission

As an American and as an advisory member of the Commission, my duty is to my country and the citizens whose rights we are entrusted to protect, including those of Carrie and the Christian faith.

My name is Sameerah Munshi. I am an American citizen and an advisor to the White House Religious Liberty Commission, appointed by the President of the United States.

In recent weeks, I have become deeply concerned about efforts to expand the definition of antisemitism in a manner that will, wittingly or unwittingly, restrict constitutionally protected speech and religious expression. That concern was brought into sharp relief at the latest hearing on antisemitism where Christian views and beliefs were targeted as “antisemitic” for merely expressing concerns about the ongoing conflation between criticism of the state of Israel and anti-Jewish animus.

During the hearing, an attempt was made by a collection of “Israel First” actors to redefine antisemitism to include all criticism of Israel, smear many concerned citizens as bigots, and even gatekeep what counts as “real” Judaism by confining it to Israel-first Jews. In preparation for the hearing, Commissioners and Advisors were asked to submit suggested witnesses who could provide scholarly, legal, and experiential insight into the matter. Several of us, most notably Carrie Prejean Boller and myself, proposed distinguished academics and experts in Jewish history, theology, and civil liberties. However, none of the witnesses we recommended were approved. Consequently, the final witness list reflected an uncritical “Israel-First” Zionist perspective on the issue to the exclusion of any countervailing perspective or alternative Jewish experience.

Despite this limitation, the hearing proceeded. During the proceedings, Commissioner Boller raised legitimate concerns regarding the “Israel First” definition of antisemitism, as defined by the IHRA. She asked whether certain biblical narratives on Jesus Christ, religious teachings, or political viewpoints could be interpreted as violations under this expanded definition. She also raised questions regarding free speech protections when Americans discuss foreign policy or object to the indiscriminate killing of children, including the children of Palestine who have been victims of a brutal genocide.

In the days following the hearing, Commissioner Boller has faced intense criticism for expressing these concerns. She has been branded a bigot, her Christian faith has been demeaned and denigrated, and she has been attacked in vile, indecent, and patently malicious ways, all demanding action to remove her from the Commission and disqualify her from polite society. Worse yet, many voices have attempted to explicitly circumvent the President’s authority by unilaterally removing her from the Commission under false or otherwise tenuous pretenses with the unmistakable message that “religious freedom” should be nothing but code for “Zionism promotion.”

The Commission’s responsibility is to safeguard religious liberty for all Americans. Our duty is to ensure that efforts to combat antisemitism, islamophobia, anti-Christian animus, and related religious bigotries – which are serious and real problems – do not inadvertently infringe upon constitutional protections or suppress legitimate theological or political discourse.

As an American and as an advisory member of the Commission, my duty is to my country and the citizens whose rights we are entrusted to protect, including those of Carrie and the Christian faith. The President tasked us with this duty, and it is my hope as an American that “America First” prevails for Carrie and ordinary Americans over an “Israel First” project bent on eroding the constitutional protections that belong to every American.