BISmillah Vision: Stand As One Against Hate & White Supremacy: CAIR ALABAMA

Tuesday, August 15, over a hundred people gathered between 7 and 8 pm in Birmingham’s Linn Park to stand united against racism. Groups from many backgrounds, marched and chanted and listened to community members. CAIR Alabama and BIS Member Khaula Hadeed addressed the crowd. Here is what she said:

I Belong To America ! We Belong to America!

Assalamoalikum,

Dear family and friends, sisters and brothers, it is pure joy to be here with you right now that I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Saturday, when hundreds showed up to spew hate in Charlottesville, Virginia it was no ordinary day.

What we witnessed was a united terrifying stand that was bold, brazen, armed, and racist.

It was a show of strength to induce fear, to intimidate, and to drown out voices and white wash experiences of all our people that belong right here--of every color, creed, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation that are part of the mosaic we call America.

Hatred must stop ! Bigotry must stop ! Racism must stop !

No matter what, we cannot allow the normalization of this kind of hatred and bigotry against people.

There is no moral equivalency between those that espouse and spout hate and those that protest in peace, or those who live in constant fear of intimidation and discrimination.

We need strong moral leadership ; our children need to grow up in an America in which there is safeguarding of dignity and of equal rights for all, regardless of the color of their skin, ethnic or religious background.

I am here today because I want to tell you about the America that I know.

I represent a community that knows ---this---as the real America.

We have seen hatred effect us first hand but we know the real America.

This America of ours that we know is full of acceptance, love, and respect.

It sees beyond black and white and judges a person by the strength of their moral character.

This America of ours is made of people that are resilient and dignified in the face of most trying challenges.

It stands up for the weak, that believes darkness can only be overcome by burning a candle.

The America that I know is a place that embraces differences as a badge of honor.

So sisters and brothers this is our call to action:

Let us say to those who are trying to sell us an America that we don't know; let us say to them that they are trying to sell us what our leaders fought to leave behind all these years ago, it is a loss cause and we aren't buying; let us say to them that we won't let a tragic history repeat itself.

Finally, I believe it is a moral obligation of our time and for my generation. If our elders can't bring us together, we must! If our leaders can't lead us to be a more united people, We Must!

Thank you for being here tonight.

In peace and solidarity!