Standing in defense of Muslims in LA
By
LOS ANGELES--Roughly 150 people from the Japanese-American and Muslim communities turned out to the plaza in front of the Japanese American National Museum in a show of solidarity against anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia on September 9.
The peace vigil was sponsored by Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress (NCRR), the Japanese American Citizens League-Pacific Southwest District, and the Muslim Public Affairs Council, in cooperation with the Japanese American National Museum. The vigil was a response to the recent controversies surrounding the planned Islamic center in lower Manhattan and the proposed Koran-burning event in Florida by Pastor Terry Jones.
Speakers drew clear parallels between the experiences of Muslims today and Japanese Americans in the 1940s. Rev. Mark Nakagawa, a Methodist pastor, of the Nikkei Interfaith Group, expressed solidarity with Muslims and reminded the crowd that the Constitution establishes no religion as official.
Rev. Nori Ito of the Buddhist Federation and Nikkei Interfaith Group spoke of the power of religion to form opinions and guide behavior, for good and bad. He urged the crowd to see differences in other traditions as opportunities to learn from one another.
Evelyn, a member of NCCR, spoke of the disturbing familiarity of language used in anti-Muslim rhetoric. Japanese-Americans recognize talk of Muslims as "threats" to the wider community and mosques as centers of "terrorist activity" as preludes to violence, she said. They know too well how it feels to be marginalized and persecuted and how far intolerance can go in demonizing a community. She warned of the real possibility of civil liberties being stripped, as she recalled the stories of internment camp survivors.
State Assembly member Warren Furutani encouraged the crowd to interpret the hatred of Muslims as personal attacks on them, and finished with a reminder that the effort for freedom and justice was going to be a protracted one.
Aziza Hasan of the Muslim Public Affairs Council said she was humbled by the show of support and how truly courageous this was at a time when defending Muslims is not popular in the United States. She was inspired by the strength of the Japanese American community when nobody else would take a stand, and hoped their example inspires others to similar action. Events like this peace vigil, she said, give the voiceless a voice.
Ilham Elkoustaf of the Council on American-Islamic Relations recounted the bigotry and suspicion against Muslims after the 9/11 attacks. She conveyed her gratitude to the Japanese American community for their unfailing support through the years.
