The Islamic Leadership Council, or the Majlis Ash-Shura, represents over 55 imams, mosques, and Islamic organizations in the tri-state area.
Rangel said that if New York upholds the constitutional right to religious freedom, it would allow the city to set a good example for the nation.
“I have come to believe that any religion, any color, any culture [is tolerated in New York City], … We are the tolerant ones because we want to be tolerated. … How they look at New York, how they look at our politicians, how they look at our lack of tolerance is how they look at the United States of America,” the congressman said at the rally.
“This is not a problem for Muslims. It is a problem for America in doing the right thing and respecting our Constitution,” he added.
Jackson, who represents District 7 in northern Manhattan, also voiced his support for the project.
“Can I say to you as a leader of our great city, that Muslims go with peace. In fact, when they first meet you, they say ‘assalamu alaikum,’ peace be upon you. And that’s the most important thing,” he said.
President of the Islamic Leadership Council Imam Al-Amin A. Latif said that the debate over Park51 has sparked “a campaign of hate” against Muslims. Although his organization supports construction of Park51, the issue is not simply about the center, he noted. Instead, the most important task is to address “the rising tide of ethnic and religious hatred and intolerance that is sweeping our city and nation against Islam and Muslims,” he said.
Latif called upon political and religious leaders to “stop fanning the flames of hatred and instead guide the people, nurture and encourage them to respect others and their right to practice and live according to their faith.”
“We want fair treatment. No one has the right to vilify our religion and the things we hold sacred,” he said.
According to the Islamic Leadership Council, the nation has seen a surge in verbal and physical assault against Muslims. In one recent incident in New York City, a taxi driver was allegedly slashed in the face by his passenger after the passenger confirmed that he was a Muslim.
Imam Al-Hajj Talib ‘Abdur-Rashid, vice president of the Islamic Leadership Council, said that a convent on Staten Island that was no longer in use had been purchased for conversion to a mosque, but the offer was later withdrawn after people voiced opposition to the project. Islamic institutions in different parts of the country have also been vandalized, he further noted.
Talib also expressed that there has long been a strong Muslim presence in the Lower Manhattan area, including a praying room in one of the World Trade Center towers.
“The effort on the part of people to paint Muslims as the ‘them’ to ‘us,’ the American people, we denounce that effort. We are all part of the American people,” he said.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Gov. David Paterson have voiced support for construction of Park51, while former House speaker Newt Gingrich and New York gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio remain opposed to the project. Others, like U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, believe that the mosque should be built elsewhere because its proximity to ground zero is insensitive to the 9/11 victims and their families.
