New York City ‘I Am A Muslim Too’ Rally Protests Travel Ban

Two participants in Sunday’s rally holding signs with a woman wearing a star-spangled hijab.

 
New York, 23 Jumadil Awwal 1438/0 February 2017 (MINA) – More than 1,000 people filled New York’s Times Square on Sunday, waving American flags and holding signs saying “No Muslim Ban.”

The “I Am A Muslim Too” rally, designed to support Muslim Americans and protest President Trump’s immigration policies, was organized by several groups, including the non-profit organization Foundation for Ethnic Understanding (FFEU).

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio was quoted by usatoday.com as telling the crowd that America is “a country founded to protect all faiths and all beliefs.”

Hip-Hop mogul Russell Simmons said the Muslim community was being used as a scapegoat, but that “diversity will prevail.”

Simmons helped organize the Sunday rally, as did a group of interfaith leaders including Imam Shamsi Ali and local Rabbi Marc Schneier.

Schneier said: ‘The Muslim community is our greatest ally in fighting terrorism and extreme fundamentalism.’

Indonesian-born Imam Shamsi Ali echoed this sentiment, stating: ‘This president is an obstable for Muslims to integrate into America.

In a statement issued last week, Simmons said: “We are living in a time when unity will make America great. This is a special moment for all Americans of goodwill to band together to promote the kind of compassion and equality for others that we want for ourselves.” (T/RS05/RS01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)