Background

Violence against ideas—whether religious, political, or personal—is an attack against the very power of reason that distinguishes humanity.

In the wake of the tragic assassinations of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and Democratic lawmaker Melissa Hortman, we declare that the freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief is the foundation of all human rights. It is the questioning that Socrates deemed essential to a life worth living, the toleration that Locke proclaimed as the cornerstone of liberty, and the freedom that Mill affirmed as the source of all progress.

The plague of ideological violence is not about left or right, but right and wrong—and it has spread across the world in recent months:

• Ashur Sarnaya, a disabled Assyrian refugee in France, stabbed live on TikTok for preaching Christianity. (September 2025)
• Miguel Uribe Turbay, a presidential candidate in Colombia, assassinated for his political convictions. (August 2025)
• Maulana Khanzeb Shaheed, a cleric in Pakistan, ambushed while campaigning for peace. (July 2025) 
• Ali Macalintal, an LGBTQ+ activist and defender of political prisoners in the Philippines, shot for protecting the vulnerable. (June 2025) 
• Muhsin Hendricks, the world’s first openly gay imam from South Africa, slain for preaching reconciliation. (February 2025)

The pattern is unmistakable: expressions of belief are under attack.

No tyranny is more absolute than enforcing conformity of thought by murder. No fanaticism more dangerous than seeking to control another’s conscience at gunpoint. No oppression more crushing than suppressing the soul’s religious freedom. To silence a single voice is to endanger every voice. 

In the face of such violence, let us stand as peacemakers. Please unite with us in this pledge to reject violence, honor our shared humanity, and defend the right to differ without fear.

Pledge

Today, I pledge to be a peacemaker.

1. I commit to nonviolence, reserving force for the defense of life alone, and choosing the courage of dialogue over the cowardice of destruction.
2. I will honor the dignity of every person and reject dehumanization, refusing to label others as non-persons, disposable, or undeserving of compassion.
3. I will defend the right of every person to think, speak, and believe as they choose, even those with whom I deeply disagree, treating them as I would wish to be treated.

With this pledge, we choose the path of peace, and in so doing, defend the dignity of our shared humanity.