Outreach and Communications Director Rugiatu Conteh and Civil Rights Legal Intern Farah Khan attended an Interfaith Candlelight Vigil at Love Park in Center City to honor victims of the Sikh temple shooting. Rugiatu spoke briefly expressing how Muslims stand in solidarity and support of the Sikh community during this difficult time, “As the Rabbi mentioned, we as American Muslims and people of other faiths know all too well how it feels to be victims of hate.” A day after the shooting in Wisconsin, a fire completely destroyed a Missouri mosque which has been the target of repeated arson attacks. We at CAIR-Philadelphia often talk about how Islamphobia (anti-Muslim rhetoric, anti-sharia bills or Muslim bashing) creates a climate of fear that has adverse effects on the lives of ordinary citizens but this week, unfortunately, we’ve witnessed how fear and hate can turn deadly.
