ALBANY – Rejecting hate sentiments flared by presidential candidates, the roughly 3,500-member strong Veterans for Peace organization has started a campaign called “Veterans Challenge Islamophobia”, making a visible appearance at rallies for presidential hopeful Donald Trump.

“We are US military veterans, many of whom saw combat in Afghanistan, Iraq and Vietnam, who are appalled by the current spate of bigotry, racism and hatred expressed toward Muslims, the huge majority of whom are law-abiding and productive citizens,” the group said in statement on Veterans Challenge Islamophobia website.

“Bigotry and racism violate all of the values we believed we were defending during our military service.

“The ideals contained in the Constitution, to the degree they have been manifested in America, have been a beacon to much of the world because of the diversity, openness, and respect for people of all faiths that most Americans live by. It will be a great calamity if we let fear give rise to hatred.”

More than 300 veterans have signed onto the effort, some of whom have made visible appearances at Donald Trump rallies in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.

“This is a campaign to speak out against Muslim heated bigotry to defend the values of religious freedom, equality and individual rights in US and abroad,” Brian Trautman, VFP’s national board, told WAMC on Thursday, February 25.

“The Islamophobic speech and bigotry that is referred in the presidential campaign is one of the main reasons we launched this campaign.”

Their efforts were planned against rising sentiments led by Republican presidential hopefuls including Trump, Dr. Ben Carson, and Ted Cruse.

“Fear-mongering endangers our national security and gives rise to hatred and racism that play into the hands of an enemy that wants to convince Muslims around the world that the West, led by the US, hates them, and that joining ISIL or similar organizations is the only way to truly observe and defend their religion,” the group said.

“We can never defend ourselves effectively by playing into our adversary’s strategy, giving credibility to their recruitment propaganda. We endanger ourselves whenever we make that mistake.”