New Berlin council to address mayor's anti-Muslim social media posts
New Berlin Common Council to address mayor's anti-Muslim social media posts
Leaders in New Berlin are set to discuss a series of social media posts by the city's mayor disparaging Islam and Muslims. The common council will take up a resolution Tuesday night, denouncing those messages.
NEW BERLIN, Wis. - The New Berlin mayor is under fire after a series of controversial social media posts shared on his personal Facebook page disparaging Islam and Muslims came to light.
The New Berlin Common Council will take up a resolution Tuesday night, Aug. 25, denouncing those messages.
About the resolution
Dig deeper:
The resolution "affirming the City of New Berlin’s commitment to religious freedom and the community" comes after a number of posts shared on Mayor Dave Ament's Facebook page – disparaging Islam came to light last week.
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FOX6 News reviewed a number of those posts. In one, he reposted something that read, "America needs to shut down all mosques and ban Islam. I bet you won’t repost this."
Groups like the Islamic Society of Milwaukee Brookfield are responding – condemning these posts. They shared a statement saying in part, ""We hope this becomes an opportunity for accountability, reflection, and meaningful engagement with the Muslim community and others affected by these remarks."
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There have also been a number of calls for the mayor to step down – from faith groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations. CAIR members are urging people to attend Tuesday’s meeting to express concerns and demand the mayor resigns.
That resolution Tuesday night not only includes text to address these posts, it also says the posts do not represent the city’s stance or position and aims to reaffirm the city's support for religious freedom.
New Berlin mayor addresses anti-Muslim social media posts
New Berlin Mayor Dave Ament is responding to criticism of some personal social media posts.
Mayor Dave Ament statement
What they're saying:
On Friday, Aug. 21, Mayor Dave Ament released this statement to FOX6 News:
"I have been made aware of comments that have been expressed regarding posts on my private Facebook page. Let me begin by saying that what is on my personal Facebook page does not represent the official position of the City of New Berlin.
"It has never been my intention to disparage or offend any individual or group including the Muslim Community. My intention was simply to share information on matters of public concern. I regret that it has been construed otherwise. I further want to make it clear that I support the ability of all faith traditions to practice their faith.
"I am going to take some time to reflect, and step back from social media at this time."
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s reporter and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Mayor Dave Ament's Facebook page, the Islamic Society of Milwaukee Brookfield, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the City of New Berlin Common Council resolution and a statement sent to FOX6 News by Mayor Dave Ament.