Virginia Governor issues executive directive to safeguard religious beliefs.
Executive Directive Six creates a plan to combat violence against religious communities with the help of law enforcement and schools
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin issued an Executive Directive protecting the beliefs of people of faith, including Christians.
Executive Directive Six creates a plan to combat violence against religious communities with the help of law enforcement and schools. The directive is a response to increased anti-religious bigotry after the Hamas attack on Israel.
Gov. Youngkin emphasized the importance of Virginians’ safety and security.
The directive addresses incidents of antisemitism and ethnic-based prejudice on college campuses and in public demonstrations. One protest in Richmond is particularly concerning, as supporters called for the “extermination of the Jewish community in” Israel.”
Students at Virginia Commonwealth University destroyed memorials for hostage children, while Jewish students at William & Mary faced verbal abuse during their grieving process.
Youngkin’s directive now requires the Secretary of Education to work closely with public and private university presidents to protect students at risk of religiously based violence.
For the Christian community, this directive provides a breath of fresh air as Christian students across the country face increasing pressure for their religious beliefs.
Southern Illinois University issued a no-contact order with fellow students to a graduate student after she expressed her religious beliefs on social media. They banned another Christian university in Arizona from participating in a student-teacher program at a public school after the district school’s religious beliefs were perceived as a “threat to its “students.”
Virginia’s recent directive will set an example for other states in protecting religious communities and people of faith nationwide.
