MINNESOTA – Celebrating the 13th annual Muslim Day at Minnesota state Capitol, hundreds of Minnesotans gathered at the State Capitol Wednesday, March 29, voicing their support to Muslims and refugees.
“I think it’s necessary for Americans to step up show that everybody is welcome in our country,” rally attendee Rich Krisch told Fox 9.
At a time when Muslims are misunderstood, subjected to scrutiny and rising Islamophobia, people voiced their support with chants and signs.
Speaking to a mostly Muslim crowd of perhaps 200, Gov. Mark Dayton read the first 16 words of the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” and said respect for religion was a cornerstone of America’s founding fathers.
“There should be a public outcry when it’s violated,” Dayton said. “It’s alarming that’s not happening today.”
Attendants were referring to executive orders signed by President Donald Trump banning travel from a host of majority Muslim countries.
Rep. Ilhan Omar speaks at the 13th annual Muslim Day at the State Capitol in St. Paul, Wednesday, March 29, 2017.
Minnesota’s first Somali member of the state House, Rep. Ilhan Omar, DFL-Minneapolis, also gave a speech about her experience as a Muslim politician and the increased scrutiny that came with it.
“What I did not expect and what I did not know would happen is that we would have a president who would be part of that scrutiny,” she said.
Governor Mark Dayton speaks at the 13th annual Muslim Day at the State Capitol in St. Paul.
Praise
Applauding speakers, Amina Mustabshira, who came to Minnesota from India 21 years ago, voiced support to human rights protected in the American constitution.
“It’s changed,” said Mustabshira, who serves as vice president of the Islamic Center of Minnesota.
“This is not what we expected when we came to America. We came here because this is supposed to be a country about freedom. That’s what America stands for.”
Asad Zaman of Inver Grove Heights, executive director of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota, said the election of Trump has emboldened anti-Muslim speakers.
“What was once thought of as merely a possibility is fast becoming a reality,” he told the crowd.
“It’s time to embrace the Constitution and reject hate.”
Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson received sustained applause when she was introduced for successfully suing to halt Trump’s initial executive order banning travel to America from seven Muslim-majority countries.
The lawsuit by Swanson, and her counterpart in the state of Washington, forced the White House to abandon its original policy and enact a revised one.