News Recap – 7/9/2020

Over 5,000 people of various religious and ethnic backgrounds attended the United Against Islamophobia rally in Times Square, NY in support of the victims of the Christchurch shootings which occurred in New Zealand a little over a week ago.

The rally was organized by several Muslim led organizations, including Majlis Ash-Shura Islamic Leadership Council of New York (ILC-NY), and saw the endorsement of over 60 local organizations of various political and religious backgrounds.

One of the lead organizers of the protests, Hossam Gamea, Outreach Director of ILC-NY, kicked off the rally with a passionate speech decrying racism, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and anti-Semitism. Hossam has been featured as an author with The Tab, Traversing Tradition, Medium, and for a number of podcasts with the Mad Mamluks, and has an episode on TheChristchurch attack.

His words echoed similar sentiments he shared after speaking at a vigil for students at CUNY-Baruch College and a rally earlier in the week organized by Jewish and anti-racism organizations in lower Manhattan. Hossam Gamea’s powerful introduction sparked a zeal in the rest of the speakers, which included several imams, a Rabbi, a Reverend, and a representative of BLM in NYC.Following the speeches and a variety of chants calling for unity and an end to racism, thousands marched for over 3 miles, with Hossam Gamea leading the pack to the CNN headquarters in Columbus circle and prayed the afternoon asr prayer to send a message of unity and show the collective of New Yorkers who have come together to oppose hate and violence.