Marriott International is being pressured by a Muslim-American advocacy group to cancel a national convention organized by ACT for America, a national security lobbyist organization with ties to the Trump Administration that is often described as an anti-Muslim hate group.
Muslim Advocates released a letter Thursday that it previously sent to Marriott International President and CEO Arne Sorenson urging him to cancel the hotel chain’s scheduled commitment to host the ACTCON annual convention that is scheduled for October 2 and October 3.
The letter, which was initially sent to Sorenson on September 11, argues that hosting the annual convention is in direct conflict with the national hotel chain’s “golden rule” marketing campaign that champions diversity and inclusion.
Here’s a snippet from the letter:
“We believe that hosting this anti-Muslim convention is antithetical to this otherwise clear commitment. Act for America’s held almost 30 anti-Muslim protests during Ramadan—some of the protesters were armed and marched directly in front of mosques. The official Facebook page of this event was filled with repeated calls to kill and commit acts of violence against Muslims….Declining to host ACT for America would help to ensure that Marriott International does not fall behind other companies and would be true to your company’s stated commitment to inclusivity.”
ACT for America responded Thursday with its own statement, which the organization also posted on its Facebook page.
The recent statement by Muslim Advocates in an attempt to suppress the speech of those holding opposing views from theirs is disappointing, since it is based on a series of outright fabrications.
ACT for America is the nation’s largest national security grassroots organization, with a zero tolerance policy for hatred or bigotry of any kind.
However, ACT for America’s Facebook page is littered with anti-Muslim comments. The Southern Poverty Law Center has designated ACT for America as a hate group that has an anti-Muslim agenda.
ACT for America lobbies local, state, and federal government to pass “national security” related laws that often target Islamic law and refugees. In June, the group organized “March Against Sharia” demonstration in cities across the U.S. to oppose Islamic law.
The group’s annual conference will feature a number of speakers, including Tea Party activist and former Trump campaign spokesperson Katrina Pierson and Walid Phares, who worked for the Republican presidential campaigns of Mitt Romney in 2012 and Donald Trump in 2016.
