Armed Anti-Islamic Protestors Rally Outside Texas Mosque
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About a dozen Islamophobic protestors carrying guns and signs stood outside of a mosque in Irving, Texas on Saturday to "stop" what they call the “Islamization” of America, according to the Dallas Morning News.
The incident was described as "strange," and another recent Islamophobic event in the same area where 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed made international headlines this year when he was arrested for bringing a homemade clock to his high school.
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David Wright, who told the Dallas Morning News that he apparently organized the rally, said it was to protest the horrific ISIS-led attacks in Paris on Nov. 13. The terror attacks have left 130 people dead as of November 20, according to the Huffington Post.
The group of protestors, who refer to themselves as "Anti-CAIR" (Council on American-Islamic Relations) believe that Irving's mosque established an Islamic court earlier this year, according to the Dallas Morning News. This false rumor was intensified after Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne seized on a chain letter containing the rumor, and then used it for reference in speeches to Tea Party groups about the Muslim effort to apparently destroy the U.S. “from within."
“They shut the illegal court down,” Wright said in reference to the supposed actions of Muslims in Irving. “And then, they threatened to kill the mayor.” The Dallas Morning News maintains that both of Wright's claims are incorrect.
But even though the claims aren't accurate, Wright and his group of protestors believe they are, and that's why they decided to tout guns and mimic Arabic music on the sidewalk outside of the mosque.
“We tried to talk to the mosque before we did this, but they wouldn’t return our messages,” Wright told the Dallas Morning News, holding a 12-gauge shotgun. “So here we are.”
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In reference to his guns, Wright told the Dallas Morning News. “They’re mostly for self-defense or protection."
“But I’m not going to lie. We do want to show force. …It would be ridiculous to protest Islam without defending ourselves,” Wright said.
Another protestor held up his AR-15 to traffic, while a 20-year-old participating in the protest said that he wants to join the army and ban the practice of Islam in the U.S., according to the Dallas Morning News. He was carrying a Remington hunting rifle with him at the protest.
Irving, Texas and Islamophobia
Earlier this year when 14-year-old named Ahmed Mohamed had his homemade clock mistaken for a bomb, Ahmad was never officially charged for the incident, according to MSNBC. Instead, he met President Barack Obama and received a full scholarship for high school and college in Qatar, where he and his family are now moving, according to MSNBC.
He also got his clock back.
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The protest was troubling as instances of Islamophobia and anti-refugee rhetoric continue to occur around the country. As of now, 31 governors nationwide say they oppose accepting Syrian refugees in their states, according to CNN. Republican front-runner Donald Trump has also said he would not welcome refugees, saying that "they could be ISIS."
