I hope you enjoy our first newsletter of 2012. You will find in it only a brief glimpse of the work we are doing – examples, both good and bad, of the New York Police Department’s and Fedral Bureau of Investigations’ treatment of the American Muslim community and trainings on Islam, updates from the campaign trail (disappointingly, these updates include the continued abuse of religion for political gain), and a recap of the national debate over President Obama’s plan to require employers to provide contraceptive coverage and how some view such a promise as a threat to religious freedom. You also will find highlights on recent victories in the fight for marriage equality, as well as a sincere thank you from all of us at Interfaith Alliance for your role in our organization’s receiving a much appreciated grant from Working Assets/CREDO.

As you read about each initiative, I hope you will hear reverberating in your mind sounds of gratitude from us. We could not be doing this work were it not for you and many others. We are making progress, but there is so much more to be done. A little fatigue is predictable. But, we cannot give up. Too much is at stake! I am eager to get on with it, and I hope the same is true for you.