Islamic Speakers Bureau: Georgia Muslims denounce mass shooting

Qureshi said he’s anxious that the work he and other Muslims have done to promote good relations may be set back after the Orlando shootings.

Muslims in IN wasted little time in condemning the worst mass shooting in US history, a shooting for which a radical terrorist group took credit. And on Juy 4th, he and other Muslims will be taking part in July 4th parades in metro Detroit to show that Islam teaches loyalty to the country you live in. He pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State group in a 911 call before opening fire at the Pulse club, killing 49 people and wounding 53.

He say he was shocked by the attack in Orlando early Sunday morning. “A majority of us are queer and trans people of color”.

We are in a religious and cultural conflict with radicalized elements that believe that the way that we live and the way that we live with one another is unacceptable. “But in the same breath we take to mourn our lost queer family, we’re scared for the backlash that’s about to come”.

“We want the rest of the country to know that we are thinking about what happened in Orlando and that we’re standing with those people”. “At the mayor’s office vigil for Orlando, someone walked by screaming ‘Arrest all the Muslims, get rid of them, that’ll solve the problem'”.

A gunman armed with an assault rifle killed 50 people at a crowded nightclub in Orlando, Florida on Sunday, the worst mass shooting in USA history. “We urge the community to stand united against all acts of violence”, said Azhar Azeez, President of ISNA, the largest and oldest Islamic umbrella group in North America. “We must challenge divisive interpretations of Islam that may encourage those like the gunman in Orlando”. Our hearts are also with the LGBTQ community in Florida and throughout the United States. “We are not single-issue people, and those burdens are heavy”. Muslim organizations and activist groups are tasked with the responsibility of releasing public statements, apologizing for the actions of terrorists and reminding the world that Islam promotes peace so innocent Muslims who are just trying to go about their daily lives don’t suffer repercussions.

“We pray for the victims, we pray for humanity”, Qureshi said.

But LGBT pride within Muslim communities is also evident. We – and this of course includes queer Muslims – have to take extra care walking down the street at night and entering our mosques for fear of Islamophobic attacks. “We must fight this with every cell in our bodies, and every breath in our lungs”.