Recognizing Religious Tolerance Week

Floor Speech

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Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Religious Tolerance Week and celebrate the beautiful tapestry of faith that defines the Virgin Islands of the United States.

In our homes, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Rastafarians, and practitioners of ancestral African tradition don't just coexist. We celebrate one another. The support of Ramadan, Yom Kippur, and Good Friday are solemn occasions shared by all. We celebrate brothers and sisters as they enjoy Diwali and hold sacred spaces where African traditionalist religion is practiced. Our festivals blend the sacred traditions of multiple faiths.

This is not tolerance. It is love and an embodiment of what America promises: that our differences make us stronger, our faiths can flourish side by side, and unity does not require unanimity.

As we face growing division in our Nation, let the Virgin Islands be a model. We prove every day that respecting each other's belief enriches us all. I ask for strength in that for all of us.

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