Author: lafaithcoalition

January 3, 2019

Mr. Robert Iger
CEO
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

Dear Mr. Iger:

I write to object to anti-religious programming produced and aired under your auspices. The Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath program aired on A&E is an outrageous attack on the Church of Scientology and, by inference, other new religious expressions which are less known by the public at large. This is precisely the same method of incubation for the rampant racism in our society – false claims about a class of people are too often accepted uncritically as fact by those without personal experience with members of the demonized class.

As a United Methodist minister, I have been Executive Director of the Queens Federation of Churches for the past 41 years. The Queens Federation is an ecumenical council of Christian congregations in the Borough of Queens, City of New York. For most of those years, I have been a member of the national Committee on Religious Liberty, originally organized by the National Council of Churches and now under the auspices of the Religious Freedom Project of the Newseum Institute. I have served as Moderator of this Committee since 2000, which meets regularly in Washington and brings together score of attorneys and advocates from many diverse religious and secular organizations concerned to protect religious liberty.

Protecting the right of persons to practice the faith of one’s choice – and to organize together for that purpose – is a basic human right supported not only by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, but by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

It is incumbent on all of us to work to protect this basic right and to combat every form of religious intolerance which, ultimately, works to incite violence against individuals and religious organizations. Recent news headlines confirm the violence borne of extreme bias and hatred.

Many acts have been committed against Scientology churches, threatening individual Scientologists. These have been incited by Leah Remini and her TV show, and by others who also seek to demonize new religious movements. Having watched some of the series episodes, it is clear to me that an assembly of disgruntled persons expelled by the Church for misconduct appear to certify each other’s falsehoods to an otherwise ignorant audience.

I cannot understand why Disney provides support for the Leah Remini series on A&E. Surely there are more prudential ways of generating revenue than instigating religious bias and bigotry.

Unless we defend the religious liberty of everyone, it will not long exist for anyone.

Please substitute more wholesome programming for this dangerous hate-baiting series.

Sincerely,

N. J. L’Heureux, Jr.
Executive Director
The Queens Federation of Churches

The People’s Alliance for Justice is a national human/civil rights organization founded by Reverend Shane Harris in 2019 to keep Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream alive by taking direct action with a balanced standard of justice for all—no matter what race, religion, criminal record, sexuality, gender status, or citizenship.

January 21, 2019

Mr. Bob lger
Chairman and CEO
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

Dear Mr. lger,

I have recently become aware of a program being aired on the A&E Networks, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, which is hateful towards several religions. This is Leah Remini Aftermath reality series. I understand this program is in its third season. A&E’s recent programming persecutes some of America’s religions—Scientology, Jehovah’s Witnesses and many other denominations. The program asserts that it is the program’s objective is to “look”…”looking” into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This programming is one-sided and does not attempt to provide a balanced perspective of the aforementioned churches. As I write to you on this Martin Luther King day of 2019, I reflect on the work I have done in partnership with the Church of Scientology for many years on some of the most important civil rights and social justice issues in our Country. Their members have stood with me on important issues impacting the quality of life for all. By continuing the airing of this series, Disney makes itself a party to the violence resulting.

Since the airing of the show, the Church of Scientology has received hundreds of threats of death, violence or vandalism. This includes the arson of their Church in Twin Cities, another church having a car driven purposefully through their front windows, etc. I am sure you are aware of the Charleston Emmanuel AME Church killings two years ago when the Pastor and nine of his members were killed during bible study by the professed white supremacist nationalist Dylann Roof. Recent shootings in the synagogue in Pittsburgh and other such incidents against churches around the U.S. are becoming more prevalent each day. The idea that Disney would sponsor programs that incite hatred against religions from my perspective is unconscionable. Combating religious intolerance, stigmatization, discrimination, incitement to violence and violence against persons based on religion or belief is a matter of the highest importance as United Nations global policy. Must we wait until something worse happens to stop proliferating hate-mongering on our television networks? I respectfully request that you look at this from a dispassionate perspective and a broader vision of the world, beyond television ratings. It is now more important than ever that we welcome multiple perspectives to the table to have a robust understanding of one another. It is time sir, to act with courage and compassion—as would the great Walt Disney and many of his contemporaries—and not merely turn a blind eye to the discrimination and persecution by the few with a mouthpiece, against the many who peacefully and diligently seek to follow their religious convictions.

I know based on my study that you are dedicated to community outreach and applaud the diversity that our country stands for. Will you please consider full cooperation with the above churches and because chemistry is at risk, respond positively to my request? I look forward to hearing from you and will pass on your response to our chapter leaders across the Country and the several churches partnered with the Alliance that are alarmed and waiting for a response as well. We stand with Scientology, Jehovah’s Witness, and all denominations for freedom of religion and against any form of hate even against religious institutions.

Signed,

Reverend Shane Harris
President & Founder