Local Islamic Leaders Denounce Orlando Shooting, Stress Unity
Islamic leaders in Alabama have condemned Sunday morning’s deadly shooting rampage at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida — a shooting carried out by a Muslim man claiming allegiance to the Islamic State. WBHM’s Sherrel Wheeler Stewart spoke with Khaula Hadeed, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Alabama.
Hadeed says Omar Mateen, the man who was gunned down after shooting dozens of people, represents enemies of the faith and humanity.
Interview Highlights:
Impact on the Muslim community:
“This was an extremely trying and overwhelming day for the entire Muslim community. This is something our community is dealing with. That this could happen at a time like this. Muslims around the world this month are observing Ramadan. We reached out to the interfaith communities. We reached out to our community. Most of the response was amazing and overwhelmingly love and compassion.”
Stereotypes and the Muslim Community:
“Events like these don’t help. They actually make our jobs harder because of all the work that has gone on over the years and in the past couple of months. All of the bridges we try to build are undermined by the actions of some crazy people who are hateful and who hate people.”
Donald Trump’s call for ban on entry to United States
“When he said it, it was surreal. Living in America, someone, let alone a presidential candidate could come up with a statement like that or a theory like that. First of all, it’s unconstitutional. To suggest something like that is antithetical to what America stands for. To me it’s just a random statement, but that statement is extremely, extremely divisive, and it’s extremely dangerous.
Alabama’s Muslim community demographics
“Some of them are recent immigrants, but most have been here for a very long time. They are second generation or before. They have raised families here. They have built mosques here. They are part of the community. They are your doctors, your lawyers, your real estate agents, your taxi drivers, your nurses, your teachers. They’ve been part of Alabama for a very long time.”
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