Events

[RALLY] Muslims, Christians, people of all faiths, or no faith at all, will stand shoulder to shoulder at the Solidarity Rally at 3pm this Thursday, December 17 in Niagara Square to publicly display their disapproval of the rampant fear and hate mongering that has been spewed by national figures. The rally is sponsored by the Muslim Public Affairs Council of WNY and co-sponsored by several other non-profits and community organizations, such as the WNY Peace Center, Congregation Havurah, Catholic Diocese of WNY, and Interfaith Peace Network, among several others. Dr. Khalid Qazi, the founding president and senior advisor for MPAC-WNY, says the Islamophobia epidemic is dangerous to the country. Dr. Qazi and several other community leaders recognize that further alienating American Muslims can lead to radicalism, by a disassociation from mainstream Muslim life. 

Aside from the constant anti-Islam, fear mongering sentiment, silence poses as another danger. “We can’t stay quiet, if we do, that silence will be filled with the Islamophobes.” It is prudent for Muslim leaders all over the world to stand up and speak against the mindless hate speech from people who claim to be leaders of this country, and to show the displeasure and disgust from politicians and governors. But the weight of speaking out against the brewing negativity isn’t just on the backs of Muslims. Victoria Ross, the Executive Director for the WNY Peace Center says it takes people from all walks of life to prove Buffalo is “the city of good neighbors.” “People misuse a religion, it has happened with Christianity. It’s a manipulation—just like it’s a manipulation for people to try to support fear mongering and hate mongering as being protective, when it ends up giving us more of a problem than we started out with. All of our violence, hate and fear generates more violence, hate and fear.”