By Louis Chan
AsAmNews National Correspondent
The planned nationwide rallies planned by White supremacist groups in 30 cities today is meeting a swift response from a coalition of Asian American, Muslim, multi-ethnic and interfaith groups.
Several counter protests are also planned.
“The purpose of this campaign is to sow fear and manufacture hatred against the nation’s already-embattled Muslim American communities,” said South Asian Americans Leading Together in a statement. “While we expect these events to remain small, they may be hostile, particularly in the wake of numerous hate incidents aimed at our communities this year, including attacks in Kansas, Washington State, and most recently in Portland, Oregon. These events form part of a larger wave of alarming white supremacy targeting our communities across the country.”
Among the groups behind the hate rallies is Act for America, which is described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as the largest anti-Muslim group in the country. They are being joined by neo-Nazis and White supremacists.
“Never should people be targeted for exclusion, detention, or incarceration for their faith, or their race wholesale and be stripped of due process and constitutional rights,” said Asians Now, the largest pan Asian Facebook group. “We stand with mainstream Muslim Americans, British Muslim, and Australian Muslim communities who are peace-loving and good citizens of their prospective countries.”
In Cincinnati a planned open house at the The Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati will go on despite the anti-Muslim rally which is scheduled near their center.
“Unfortunately, a small group of very extreme people have decided to protest our open house this Saturday as part of a nationally coordinated campaign to stigmatize American Muslims this Ramadan,” said the Center in a statement. “So we are redoubling our efforts to welcome all people to share part of their Saturday afternoon with us to show unity, strength and a belief in the American principle of religious freedom.”
In Santa Clara, California members of an interfaith coalition will hold a counter protest at the same site of the anti-Muslim rally.
“We want the voice of inclusion, of diversity, of celebrating this very strong and vibrant community, that we’re all apart of,” said Diana Gibson with Multifaith Voices for Peace and Justice to ABC7 News.
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