On Sunday, protesters filled three New York city blocks to express solidarity with the Muslim community in a rally dubbed “Today I Am A Muslim Too.” Those attending also spoke out against President Trump’s executive order banning immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries. The ban is currently on hold after a unanimous federal appeals court decision though Trump is reported to be re-drafting the executive order.
The rally was organized by the Foundation For Ethnic Understanding — a coalition of religious groups led by record label founder Russell Simmons, Rabbi Marc Schneider, among others. Speakers at the rally included New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio, Muslim and feminist activist Linda Sarsour, and Imam Shamsi Ali.
During the rally, Russell Simmons tweeted: “Hearing that there were between 7,000-10,000 people who came to the #IAmAMuslimToo rally today!! An absolute incredible show of solidarity!”
“I am unapologetically Muslim, all day, every day,” Linda Sarsour, a Brooklyn-born Palestinian-American activist and commentator, told a cheering crowd. “I am not afraid because fear is a choice; it is not a fact. So today I ask you, in the true grit and spirit of a New Yorker, that you choose courage in the face of fear.”
