 Peace & Salutations,
On Sunday March 6th, one thousand people and 90 interfaith and civic organizations filled Times Square in support of the Muslim-American community at the Today I am a Muslim Too Rally. The rally brought together people of all faiths, civil rights activists, and entertainers in solidarity with the Muslim-American community to rally against the upcoming congressional hearings on the “radicalization of Islam in America.” These hearings promise to play into the negative stereotypes and further the misconceptions and prejudices prevalent in the discourse on Islam.
Imam Feisal, one of the many speakers who provided their passionate support at the rally, summed up the event with these words—
"Congressman's King's hearings have the danger of portraying all Muslims and Islam as the enemy. And this is absolutely wrong and false. Our common enemy is extremism."
Other speakers including City Councelman David Dromm, Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, DRUM Executive Director Monami Maulik, Founder of The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding Rabbi Marc Schneier, Democratic Congressman Andre Carson, Beth Gilinsky of the Jewish Action Alliance, Imam Shamsi Ali the leader of the Islamic Cultural Center on Manhattan's Upper East Side, and many more united together under the slogan "Today I am a Muslim Too."
"You, Peter King, as a Congressman should know better. You, Peter King, are responsible to represent everyone in your district. You have Muslims in your district also. Shame on you, Peter King, for doing this,"
-City Councilman Daniel Dromm
"Targeting one community takes us back to an era similar to what happened with the Japanese after World War II, what happened under the [Senator Joseph] McCarthy era. We're spreading fear and hatred rather than tolerance and justice,"
-Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM) Executive Director Monami Maulik.
"To single out Muslim Americans as the source of homegrown terrorism and not examine all forms of violence motivated by extremist belief - that, my friends, is an injustice,"
-Rabbi Marc Schneier, founder of The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding
Pre-Coverage of Rally Aired on March 6, 2011:
WPIX (CW) PIX News at Ten - Est. Audience: 160,444
WABC (ABC) Eyewitness News This Morning Est. Audience: 82,495
Fox News Channel: Fox Report –Est. Audience: 545,174
Warmest regards,
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