Muslim group demands mask mandate, City Council caves

South Dakota Voices For Justice, one of many organizations helping muslims get elected in the U.S., has been calling for a mask mandate in Sioux Falls. Think about that. Muslims calling for mask mandates in the U.S. I mean, why would they not? Covering their face is part of their religion and now it seems they want us to be forced to cover our faces as well. Though, they’re using COVID-19 as an excuse for the mask mandate, we should know better. We all knew it would come to this, and if you didn’t, you haven’t been paying attention.

Sadly, just like many other times, they’ve gotten their way. The Sioux Falls City Council voted 6-2 to approve the mask mandate after demands from muslim groups and others.

Mask Mandate Cohort of Courage Faith Letter to Sioux Falls Council:

We are participants in Cohort of Courage: Faith Leaders, a program of South Dakota Voices for Peace and sister organization of South Dakota Voices for Justice. We are clergy, lay and community leaders in Sioux Falls, across the state and in the Native Nations that share the geography. We lead faith communities in action to ensure more diverse, inclusive and anti-racist communities. We are also leaders of Covid-19 impacted communities. We know what it means to officiate the funerals and comfort many who are suffering from this disease in health and livelihood at an alarming rate.

We believe and depend on elected civic leaders to act for the common good, especially in times of crisis like what we find ourselves in right now. As leaders ourselves, we know the courage needed to lead by example and establish required behavior that may not be popular by all, but good for all.

Clearly, the current South Dakota policy of personal responsibility to wear masks is not working. Instead, this state is leading the country in positivity rates per capita. Yet based on an overwhelming number of studies and the scientific consensus of health professionals from across the world, wearing masks is one of the most effective ways to slow the spread of this deadly and pandemic in our state, country and world. We must do our part, and we are not.

We appeal to you to be courageous to protect Sioux Falls by voting Yes to a city-wide indoor mask mandate to which all organizations and area citizens must adhere. Science tells us that this will not only decrease the spread of the coronavirus in Sioux Falls, but also the rest of the state due to the travel of carriers.