Muslims in St. Louis are dismayed that President Donald Trump has decided to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. On Sunday, Muslims and their allies gathered along the Delmar Loop for the "Rise for Jerusalem Rally Against Trump’s Embassy Decision."
Members from the Missouri chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations are not happy about the president's controversial announcement last week, or his intention to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Faizan Syed, executive director for CAIR-MO, led a sea of protesters chanting down Delmar Boulevard, as they waved both Palestinian and American flags. They carried signs that read "Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine" and "Trump, Jerusalem is not yours to offer."
Syed said now is the time for people of all faiths to speak up.
“Jerusalem is one of the holiest sites in the world for the three Abrahamic faiths,” Syed said. “And if anything happens in that part of the world it’s going to impact everywhere in the world … Religious leaders, faith leaders, community leaders need to come out and stand strongly against Trump’s unilateral decision and condemn it for what it is, which is perhaps a deliberate instigation to promote violence.”
Read Full Article: http://kbia.org/post/st-louis-muslims-denounce-trumps-decision-recognize-jerusalem-israels-capital#stream/0
ST. LOUIS – News of President Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has sent waves throughout both the Jewish and Muslim communities in the St. Louis area.
Faizen Syed, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations in St. Louis, said this undermines the two-state solution proposed by the United States for at least the last 20 years.
“We believe this has the potential to radicalize religious groups in that part of the world and also believe this is wrong and we stand in opposition to it,” he said.
ST. LOUIS (KMOX) – Local reaction to President Trump recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
The executive director of the Missouri chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, Faizan Syed, calls it a dangerous move.
“I believe that the Trump administration is making a huge mistake, undermining decades of US policy towards that region, and they’re doing this deliberately to perhaps create destabilization in that part of the world,” he says.
Read Full Article: http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2017/12/07/mixed-reactions-for-local-groups-on-presidents-jerusalem-recognition/
On Thursday’s St. Louis on the Air, host Don Marsh discussed the situation and the potential effect of the travel ban in St. Louis. Joining him for the discussion were Faizan Syed, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) in St. Louis and Jim Hacking, immigration attorney at the Hacking Law Practice.
When it comes to terminology about what to call the president’s executive orders, Hacking said “ban” is a more appropriate term to use, rather than “restrictions.”
“When you’re talking about a whole-sale prohibition on people from particular countries without any particularized analysis as to who they are or the merits of their case, it is absolutely appropriate to call it a ban,” Hacking said.
Syed also calls the executive order a ban and believes it is a “Muslim ban”. Since the ban was announced, many Muslims have expressed their concerns and are seeking advice.
“A lot of the concerns happening in the Muslim community … is that ‘where is this going to go? Is it just this? Is it going to expand further,’” Syed said.
Read Full Article & Listen to Whole Interview: http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/where-going-go-local-muslims-concerned-over-trump-s-latest-travel-ban#stream/0