#GiveRefugeesRest

Dear Friend,

My name is Anthony Grimes . I am a writer, photographer/filmmaker, human rights activist, pastor and theologian. I was recently hired by the Fellowship of Reconciliation  – the world's oldest interfaith justice and peace-building organization – as the Director of Campaigns and Strategy. 

In the recent past, the United States of America has exploited an international human rights crisis by unleashing a wave of fear, racism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia. These four forces, throughout history, have been responsible for domestic terrorism and international war. 

Recently, the House of Representatives, in the name of security, passed a bill on November 19th that severely restricts the flow of Syrian and Iraqi refugees into the U.S. This bill prevents even the modest number of 10,000 Syrian refugees from finding reprieve in the U.S. in 2016 per President Obama’s request. In addition, more than half of the nation's Governors have refused to allow Muslim refugees into their state. More recently, Republican Presidential frontrunner Donald Trump called for a “total and complete” shutdown of Muslims entering America amidst previously calling for stringent profiling of those already here. 

As Muslim families have attempted to escape persecution caused by civil war, this country has responded with fear. 

It's time to change that narrative of fear. It's time to give refugees who are suffering from persecution rest instead of condemnation, to portray them as people instead of threats.  

The Fellowship of Reconciliation – a fellowship with strong ties to Muslim members and allies – is producing a stunning short film to do just that. We have already received a verbal commitment from a couple of local film companies who would like to help us with this project at a reduced rate.

The film will feature:

1. A strong message condemning the narrow ideology and policy of politicians who use fear as a tactic to marginalize Muslims.

2. A humanizing representation of Muslim people, showing that they are a vital part of American democracy.

3. It will help us launch a grassroots campaign called #giverefugeesrest to get ordinary people involved in the cause to make this country welcoming for all people. This is the actual goal of the film; it's step one of launching an effective campaign!

In order to make this work, we need to raise at least $750 by Friday, December 25th. The impact of these funds will go a long way, as it will allow us to hire a film crew to bring this vision into being. All funds raised will go directly to this project. Here's a breakdown of what we need:

$300 – gets us a deposit to secure a film crew (Dec 22nd Deadline).

$750 – gets us the film crew for a bare minimum film (Dec 25th Deadline).

$2,500 – Allows us to make a worldclass commerical (Jan 6th Deadline). This is our hope!

I/we would be so thankful for any amount you can give – no matter how big or small!