EJECTION OF MUSLIM FROM TRUMP RALLY DRAWS CRITISM FROM GOP, RIGHT GROUPS
Washington, 30 Rabiul Awwal 1437/10 Januari 2016 (MINA) – A Muslim woman that was ejected from a rally for Republican and frontrunner Donald Trump on Friday has elicited strong reactions from Ohio Governor – another GOP hopeful, and civil rights groups.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) – the nation’s largest Muslim rights organization, called on Trump to apologize for the incident.
Rose Hamid, a 56-year-old hijab-wearing flight attendant who was in the crowd, stood up silently some 30 minutes into the South Carolina rally as a sign of protest, wearing a t-shirt that said: “Salam, I come in peace.”
She was then swiftly escorted out by security while being heckled by the crowd. It is not clear whether Trump himself was aware of the incident when it happened, KUNA news report said, as quoted by the Islamic Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).
Ohio Governor John Kasich told party voters on Saturday that the booing heard from Trump supporters does not represent the GOP (Grand Old Party).
“That is not the Republican Party,” he said. “We are people who can tolerate differences and respect people.” Trump had previously called for a “shutdown” on Muslims entering the United States, and has rejected the Obama Administration’s decision to admit an additional 10,000 Syrian refugees this year.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who is the runner up to Trump in some primary states, said last month that such a ban on Muslims “isn’t going to happen,” and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Trump’s views are simply “inconsistent” with American values. The CAIR is now demanding that Trump formally apologize to Hamid.
The group’s National Executive Director Nihad Awad said Trump’s language has resulted in anti-Muslim hysteria.
“The image of a Muslim woman being abused and ejected from a political rally sends a chilling message to American Muslims and to all those who value our nation’s traditions of religious diversity and civic participation,” Awad said in a
statement.
“Donald Trump should issue a public apology to the Muslim woman kicked out of his rally and make a clear statement that American Muslims are welcome as fellow citizens and as participants in the nation’s political process,” he affirmed.
Hamid, in reference to the attendees at the rally, told CNN that “the ugliness really came out fast and that’s really scary.” She explained: “I figured that most Trump supporters probably never met a Muslim so I figured that I’d give them
the opportunity to meet one.”
The latest national poll from Fox News indicates that the real estate mogul continues to lead the GOP field at 35 percent support, while Texas Senator Ted Cruz is in second place at 20 percent support, and Rubio stands at 13 percent support. (T/R07/R03 )
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
