In an enthusiastic show of support, several thousand people linked arms Tuesday to cheer speakers and deter protesters at this year’s Texas Muslim Day rally and lobbying event at the Capitol.
The response, coming from a largely non-Muslim crowd at a particularly poignant time for U.S. Muslims, delighted organizers.
“I am truly humbled and overwhelmed by your support. Thank you very much for being here,” said Shaykh Mohamed-Umer Esmail of the Nueces Mosque in Austin, who added that the turnout supported his belief that “we will have more supporters than haters.”
“In all the years we have been doing this, we have never seen a sea of supporters like we do today,” said Alia Salem, executive director for the Fort Worth chapter of the event’s lead organizer, the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
In a twist, Salem also thanked President Donald Trump and state Rep. Kyle Biedermann, “because they’re the ones who inspired you to be here today, and I am grateful to see hate can turn into absolute love.”
Trump’s order to temporarily suspend the U.S. refugee program and impose a 90-day ban on all entries from seven Muslim-majority countries was a frequent topic of the speakers, including several Democratic members of the Texas House. Biedermann, a freshman Republican from Fredericksburg, had organized a Capitol conference last week that painted a grim portrait of Islam as a threat to Texans, particularly in the form of radicalized terrorists.
Before the rally began on the south steps of the Capitol, supporters linked arms to encircle the crowd in an effort to deter protesters like those who disrupted the 2015 event, which had drawn about 100 Muslims and almost two dozen hecklers.
On Tuesday, however, protesters were limited to one or two people with signs and a man who tried to shout down speakers from the periphery.
Addressing the rally, Austin Mayor Steve Adler said: “‘Y’all’ is a uniquely Texan way of saying that we are all included. And y’all are Texans. And this is Austin, and Austin is a loving, inclusive and welcoming city, and we are proud to have you here.”
Austin City Council Member Greg Casar, who recently sponsored a resolution condemning bigotry against Muslims, said he wanted to deliver a message of solidarity.
“We stand alongside you in the fight for justice and equality and against cowardly Islamophobic and frankly un-American leadership, be it in the state Capitol, be it in the Governor’s Mansion or be it in the White House,” Casar said before leading the crowd in a chant, “No ban, no wall!”
After the rally, Muslim participants walked to the nearby First United Methodist Church for lunch and training in how to approach lawmakers, then spent the afternoon visiting Capitol offices — including an impromptu and cordial meeting with Biedermann.
More than a dozen Muslims expressed unhappiness with his recent security forum and criticized as insulting a survey Biedermann mailed to mosques and student groups asking if they supported designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization and requesting a pledge to honor the safety of former Muslims.
Biedermann said he didn’t single out any religion, a statement that was met with skepticism in the crowded reception area of his office.
“The purpose is not for us to be making determinations about your faith,” he insisted. “We believe in religious freedom, we believe in human rights, we believe in civil rights, we believe in women’s rights. And as long as those are protected, then we’re on the same page and I am grateful that you are here.”
Told that many Muslims feel he contributed to a rise in persecution, Biedermann said he invited Muslim leaders to attend his forum, but they chose not to participate.
“We must be honest with ourselves, we do have terror threats all throughout the world. My purpose is to make sure those threats do not increase in the state of Texas. So why don’t we all join together to go against those threats?” he said.
Many in the crowd insisted that they, and many American Muslims, voice opposition to violence in the name of religion.
Outside the office, Habiba Noor of San Antonio said she was far from satisfied with Biedermann’s answers but appreciated the friendly exchange. “We started the conversation. We are definitely going to follow through,” she said.