Faith leaders, lawmakers gather in Washington for AMMWEC anti-hate conference

Religious leaders, lawmakers and civil rights advocates met at the National Press Club in Washington for AMMWEC’s second annual National Coalition Against Hate Conference. The event focused on Abrahamic unity, religious freedom and coordinated responses to antisemitism, Islamophobia and other forms of religious hate.

Why it matters: - The conference brought together more than 70 U.S. and international organizations around a single message: religious freedom and peaceful coexistence need active defense. - Speakers framed antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Christian persecution as threats to democracy, human dignity and social trust. - The event showed continued effort to build coalitions across Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities.

What happened: - AMMWEC held its Second Annual National Coalition Against Hate Conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. - Religious leaders, policymakers, civil rights advocates, academics and organizational representatives attended. - Muslim, Christian and Jewish clergy opened the conference with an Abrahamic Prayer for Peace. - The conference also marked America’s 250th Anniversary with a cake-cutting ceremony. - Leo Terrell, chair of the U.S. Department of Justice Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, delivered the keynote address. - U.S. Reps. Greg Stanton and Brad Schneider gave remarks. - Presentations also came from Anila Ali, author Dara Horn, the Anti-Defamation League and Dr. Charles Asher Small of ISGAP.

The details: - Terrell said confronting antisemitism is a moral responsibility that rises above party politics. - Conference discussions focused on countering religious hatred, addressing digital extremism, strengthening religious freedom and empowering women as peacebuilders. - Participants emphasized shared Abrahamic values, including human dignity, justice, compassion, mercy and peace. - The conference concluded with a call for continued interfaith dialogue, freedom of religion or belief and coalitions that reject hate and uphold equal rights. - A special interfaith delegation from Pakistan attended, including Muslim and Christian faith leaders and human rights advocates. - The Pakistan delegation exchanged experiences with international counterparts and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to religious freedom and peaceful coexistence.

Between the lines: - The event positioned interfaith cooperation as a practical response to rising religious intolerance and digital radicalization. - By combining clergy-led prayer, policy voices and advocacy groups, AMMWEC signaled a strategy that links moral messaging with public policy and civil society action. - The Pakistan delegation added an international dimension and suggested the conference aimed to connect U.S. debates with global religious freedom concerns.

What's next: - AMMWEC and its partners are expected to continue promoting interfaith dialogue and coalition-building against hate. - The conference’s stated priorities point to more work on religious freedom advocacy, women’s leadership and cross-faith partnerships. - The gathering set a framework for continued cooperation among faith communities, government officials and civil rights groups.

The bottom line: - The conference was a public push to turn Abrahamic unity into a broader anti-hate coalition with policy, faith and civil society support.