Thursday Afternoon, July 6, 2023

MIKEY WEINSTEIN INTERVIEWED ON

THE THOM HARTMANN PROGRAM ABOUT 

NDAA AMENDMENT MAKING IT ILLEGAL FOR MILITARY TO COMMUNICATE WITH MRFF



In a segment titled “Will Religious Liberty Vanish for the Military?,” Thom Hartmann interviews MRFF founder and president Mikey Weinstein about Christian nationalist GOP Congressman Mike Turner's amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2024 designed to SHUT MRFF DOWN!

Turner's amendment, which was PASSED by the House Armed Services Committee as part of an en bloc package of NDAA amendments (meaning it was sneakily inserted into a large group of amendments that were all voted on as a group with a single vote, deceptively garnering this blatantly unconstitutional amendment votes from the committee's Democrats), would make it ILLEGAL for Department of Defense personnel to even communicate with MRFF, obliterating MRFF's ability to protect and advocate on behalf of our service members facing religious discrimination, harassment, and aggressive proselytizing.

Turner's amendment is now Section 1045

of the House version of the NDAA.

MIKEY WEINSTEIN ON THE

THOM HARTMANN PROGRAM

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

A pair of emails from two MRFF clients who credit MRFF with literally saving their lives in reaction to Rep. Turner's amendment to shut MRFF down

"Without MRFF I'd not be alive today"

From: (MRFF Client’s E-mail Address Withheld)

Subject: Without MRFF I'd not be alive today

Date: July 6, 2023 at 9:01:20 AM MDT

To: Information Weinstein <[email protected]>

To Whom It May Concern:

I will keep this short and to the point. There is much more I could express but you’ll get the concept. Please keep all of my personal information confidential.

I have never spoken about this publicly but the time has finally come to compose this email.

I am a former U.S. Marine who is Muslim. I am female. I went through hell at basic training being harassed about my faith everyday by a superior ranking NCO. He wanted me to renounce my “fraudulent” faith in front of our entire unit and accept Christ as my Lord and Savior. He would scream at me that "the only good Muslim is a dead Muslim"

I was lost and did not know what to do? 

I began to cut myself on my arms. I had suicidal ideation. I had some serious suicide attempts. I wanted my corpse to lay on that senior NCO’s desk with a sign I made that said “Now Gunny am I finally a good Muslim?”

This went on for many weeks. I only told my parents and they and some fellow Marines contacted MRFF, specifically Mikey Weinstein.

Mikey and our base MRFF Reps shepherded me night and day for months and helped me get a medical discharge from the USMC that was still under full Honorable Conditions.

Mikey and the MRFF team also helped me get my VA benefits to help me pay for and get accepted into a Top 20 law school where I graduated a few years ago.

I am now thriving, married and have kids. 

Not a day passes without me being forever grateful to Mikey Weinstein and the MRFF Reps who came to my side and helped me fight back. They saved my life pure and simple.

To the Republicans in Congress please know that I would not be alive today were it not for the MRFF.

Your attempt to eliminate the MRFF from helping U.S. military personnel in desperate need of their amazing civil rights activism is beneath contempt and is simply naked hatred of the MRFF’s established record of success in battling unconstitutional religious extremism in the ranks of our armed forces.

From a former Marine and always a grateful MRFF Client. 

(MRFF Client’s Name, Address and Phone Number all Withheld)

"The Military Religious Freedom Foundation"

From: David Miller <[email protected]>

Subject: The Military Religious Freedom Foundation

Date: July 6, 2023 at 10:27:28 AM MDT

To: Michael L Weinstein <[email protected]>

To Whom It May Concern,

About 20 years ago I found myself all alone in a fight for my life. I had recently moved back to my home state of Iowa. I was in ill health and, as a veteran, receiving medical care from the Iowa City V.A. Medical Center.

The problem was that at that time the Iowa City V.A. was still a pretty small facility and was overwhelmingly staffed by fundamentalist Christians who neither understood nor approved of my Jewish faith. Beginning the first day I arrived at the facility I was harassed about my faith. Over time the harassment became worse with even the chaplain joining in and telling me I was going to hell. On one occasion when I was hospitalized, confined to bed and wired to a heart monitor the chaplain entered my room (despite my written and verbal instructions that I not be visited by the chaplain), stood over my bed and proceeded to try to covert me. He told me I was very ill, that I could die and if I didn’t accept Jesus as my savior I would burn in hell for eternity.

After months of declining health, harassment by staff and objections on my part I finally lodged a formal protest and it was at that time the Iowa City V.A. cut off my care in retaliation for my complaint. I was stuck at home, in incredible pain with 7 kidney stones and didn’t know where to turn. Thankfully a dear friend from out of state called and told me about Mikey Weinstein and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.

The day I called and spoke with Mikey he got to work. He flew out to Iowa and thanks to his personal intervention the Department of Veterans Affairs also flew out an investigator who not only verified my allegations but discovered Anti-Semitic notations in my medical chart.

While the Department of Veterans Affairs was mandating significant changes and training at the V.A. facility in Iowa City, Mikey arranged for me to fly to Dallas, Texas and receive the medical intervention I needed from the Dallas V.A. Medical Center to rid me of my kidney stones.

It is not hyperbole to say that Mikey Weinstein and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation saved my life, but more than that. Twenty years later and the Iowa City V.A. Medical Center, where I access my medical care today, is a thriving, professional, welcoming faculty filled with kind, courteous and respectful staff who welcome and serve veterans of all backgrounds, races and religions. Because of Mikey and the MRFF veterans of all stripes today receive quality, professional and compassionate care at the Iowa City V.A. Medical Center.

Respectfully,

Akiva David Miller

Kalona, Iowa

Don’t Let the Christian Nationalists in Congress

Shut MRFF Down!!! Sign the Digital Petition opposing Rep. Turner's amendment!!!

Click here or on box below to sign the petition

Text of Christian nationalist

Rep. Turner's NDAA amendment



Turner's amendment is now Section 1045

of the House version of the NDAA

LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS RELATED TO MILITARY RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FOUNDATION.

None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2024 for the Department of Defense may be used—

(1) to communicate with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, its leadership, or its founder; or

(2) to take any action or make any decision as a result of any claim, objection, or protest made by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation without the authority of the Secretary of Defense. 

Previous MRFF coverage of

Christian nationalist Rep. Turner's amendment

A handful of MRFF's numerous run-ins with

Christian nationalist GOP Congress members

and Senators over the years

"It’s worse than I realized"

From: (name withheld)

Date: July 3, 2023 at 9:58:11 AM MDT

To: Mikey Weinstein <[email protected]>

Subject: It’s worse than I realized

Hi Mike,

My husband is retired USAF KC-10 pilot, coming up on 20 years now with (government agency withheld) in (location withheld). I’m just a lowly 0-3, separated a long time ago, now, after two tours; got out and went to law school.

We had a nephew of (husband’s name withheld), with wife and one year old baby, with us for the weekend. He’s a USAF (rank withheld) on leave from (installation withheld). We invited them to do their jet lag with us before hitting the rest of (husband’s name withheld)’s huge family for July 3-15. 

 

He said evangelism has completely infiltrated the Air Force; he’s been asked more times than he can count if he has been saved, if he’d like to attend such-and-such evangelical church, if so-and-so’s pastor could please baptise their new baby. His new 0-4 boss handed out “Be saved” pamphlets and invitations to attend her church AT COMMANDER’S CALL, and when (name withheld) (that’s (husband’s name withheld) nephew) later asked his new 0-6 commander about it, the commander completely dismissed (name withheld)‘s query and said “she does that at every commander’s call.” WTF?! He said it’s been very tricky making friends because the other officers in his squadron have tightly knit social circles. . . within their churches. So while they often invite him and (nephew’s wife’s name withheld) to join them, it’ll be at a church picnic or fundraiser or church bowling night.  

As bad, he said it was just as bad stateside in (location withheld).  And this from a kid whose given name is (name withheld) as in, named for (name withheld).

Phew. (husband’s name withheld) and I were shocked. I’ll send a donation to you on payday.  

(Name withheld)