Tag Archives: imam shamsi ali

“Building Bridges” NYC Muslim Day Parade 2017

Posted on October 7, 2017 by Pamela Hall | Leave a comment

The ANNUAL Muslim Day Parade, September 24, 2017. With CAIR and Rabbi Marc Schneier as Honorary Grand Marshal, the theme this year was “Building Bridges”: a message of UNITY.

The New JDL said, “Since CAIR will use the parade as an opportunity to recruit and promote their false agenda, exposing CAIR should be everyone’s mission.” [see AFDI subway ad from 2014]

In 2010, Nihad Awad Exec Dir and Founder of Council on American-Islamic Relations was a Grand Marshal. (Hamas-loving, Nihad, is second from right.)

And now, “for the first time in the parade’s history (in 2017) a Jewish leader will be honored: Rabbi Marc Schneier will serve as the honorary grand marshal.”

Who is this bridge-building rabbi?

“Rabbi Marc Schneier , the philandering spiritual leader was booted from the Rabbinical Council of America two years ago after dumping wife No. 4 so he could marry wife No. 5. He is now married to wife No. 6. …. one congregant told The Post last year, “It’s like, ‘Marc cheated on his wife again — what’s new?’ It became a running joke: the annual Marc Schneier wedding.”

This desperate attempt to jump-start the dwindling Muslim Day Parade, with a philandering rabbi and terror-loving CAIR, came to naught. It remains a fragmented event … yearning to “build bridges” to no where.

After 32 years, not even the Muslim community is motivated to show up.

I heard more than one reporter/photographer comment on the very THIN turnout this year .

They had expected a larger crowd due to claims of Trump-Islamophobia, but that was NOT the case.

As usual, the parade started with tarps laid out on Madison Avenue for the noon-day Dhuhr prayer.

“All Muslims must have to support this noble cause. We must have to come out, stay united and show our strength minimum at this platform which called a Muslim Day Parade.”

“It’s not me it’s not you. It’s US brothers & Sisters. It’s all of US and all about US. Building Bridges.”

“As salamo Alikum brothers & Sisters. Come with your entire family. Remember together we strong and unbreakable strength divided we fall. Show your strength. Send the message to entire world thru your unity. God bless you all. Ameen.”

10 years I’ve observed this annual event. And now, with dwindling stats perhaps it begs for a look-back …. before I walk away.

Flickr Slide show – Part 1 – the prayers:

Press interview Shmasi Ali

The PRAYERS

allahu akbar – takbir takbir

“Friends, try as much as possible to participate. Many reasons why it is crucially important to take part.”

Flickr Slide Show Part 2 (after the prayers)

Typos aside, as I re-read their mission statement from Imam Shmasi Ali, I noticed near the end, an allusion to a ‘lack of interest’ in the parade.

” 1)This is new yorker. Muslims are an integral part of this great city.

2) This is the city of bridges. With our non Muslim friends we continue building those bridges as our theme says it.

3. We must response to the current challenges (hate, racism, Islamophobia, anti Semitism, xenophobia) by action.

4. This parade shows brotherhood/sisterhood, both on communal and human level.

5. More importantly, this parade is dedicated in solidarity with Rohingya people. Are you a part of that one body?

6. Either you believe in the parade, or not (as it the case to some), I am sure you’re all believers in faith unity (wihdah imaniyah) and human family (usrah insaniyah).

God bless you all. Ameen. Regards, Imam Shamsi , Shabir Gull & Sheikh Tauqeer ul haq.”

Part 2

The NEW JDL peacefully protested the parade and its organizers. “No Bridges With Terrorists” NO CAIR !

How do you build bridges when one of your sponsors works with the Muslim Brotherhood and finances Hamas?

The organizers claim the parade will address anti-Semitism. Really? With CAIR on-board the parade supports attacks against Jews in Israel.

Predictably, the ‘progressive’ Jewish groups were there lending support to CAIR and terrorism. (Capos.)

The Turk-undertaker (Erhan Yildirim), also a community co-ordinator for the NYPD, gave a hard-stare to the JDL signs.

The Muslim Day Parade legitimizes CAIR as a positive advocacy group, which we know they aren’t, and the idea that Islam means peace.

After the prayers, I decided to skip the walk down Madison Ave. But the New JDL went the whole distance. This was their report.

“Yes, we walked with them, however we started to feel less love the closer we got to the staging area. (25th St and Madison Ave) One “lady” insisted on calling us “Hitler’s children”.

“On the flip side, a very nice black guy, who was a medic assigned to the parade, gave us ice packs and a male participant from the parade shook James’ hand. When we got to the speakers’ area, the love was gone.”

The stage in 2015

“One rather angry “lady” took our pic and then went to parade “security”. A large black dude who told us since CAIR is part of the event, we can’t stand there with the signs. He told us if we didn’t leave he would get the police”

“We told him very nicely fine, get the police. If the police ask us to leave, then we will go. His final attempt at having us removed, he went to a couple of large police officers in riot gear and told them about the “bad Jews”. (the saga ends)

The speeches were boring as all hell. Most of the speakers could not be understood. They should have spoke in their native languages. Carolyn Maloney spoke. I understood her. The rabbi (Mark Schneier) … the rabbi spoke liberal gibberish.”

The rabbi speaking to www.itvusa.tv – Global Dawah Television : “Call to Peace, Save Humanity . Our primary objective is to propagate Islam and it’s true nature of love and care for the humanity.“

The NEW JDL continues, “They spoke of love for the U.S. but then spoke of standing with Kapernick & other football players. They spoke of standing with the president but then condemned DACA and his policies towards immigrants. One speaker praised Sarsour a few times.” (Note Sarsour and Schneier at “I am a Muslim, too” – Times Square 2017)

“Oh yes, there were three floats. THREE . We couldn’t figure out why there was a Turkish flag and two others (not sure where they were from) on the Temple Mount float. They called it Al Aqsa. Tried to inform them otherwise but they wouldn’t listen.”

Floats in 2011- they are the same every year

2010

“We tried to decide which float was the best. It was very challenging because there was such a variety. (snark intended)

One more thing, no Muslim Day Parade would be complete without some hard core “I love Jesus” people coming over. One of them danced some sort of jig. Now their t shirts were “inflammatory”. On it was – Muslims bad, Homosexuals bad, etc. (I’m paraphrasing.) No one said anything to them. Only the bad Jews/JDL.

This had to have been the most boring parade I have ever been to. Good grief. We decided we were probably the most entertaining people there.

On a good note; we brought awareness about CAIR. Many people never heard of CAIR. Now they have. End the silence! Anti-Semites have no place on our streets!”

IN CONCLUSION: Part 3

Supported by CAIR and the very LEFT Jewish BDSers, these elements did not make the bridge inviting nor strong. Obviously. And it is not the first time that terrorism made it’s presence known within the ranks of the Muslim Day Parade.

In 2013 – the militant flags marched down Madison.

2013 – The Muslim Brotherhood Black Hand salute.

2014, plastic guns and virgins.

Plastic guns. Jailed virgins. What were they thinking?

Women hung. The scaffold. The noose. These were the parade ” floats” in 2014.

In 2017, the creeping jihad was still at work. As the Indonesian/Indian Muslims, historical victims of the Muslim invasions, marched in praise of their conqueror. Islam forced upon their countries and yet, they do not, cannot change. Living the lie that Islam can live in peace with America (and perhaps the world).

This year the signs of worldly discord exposed were the HINDUS “anti-Islam” Myanmar uprising. Who is the victim? Who is the aggressor?

“The media and the international elites are framing the jihad in Burma as another “Muslims are victims” story. But it is not. It is another Islamic supremacist holy war to kill and conquer — more of what we are seeing in the Philippines, Nigeria, Kenya, Israel, Congo, Thailand, Chechnya, etc. etc. “Rohingyas threat to national security, they have link with Jihad.” [Pamela Geller]

Is this the Crusades. Andalusia. Taking back their countries from centuries of Muslim horror. Perhaps Myanmar has had ENOUGH.

An addendum:

And then, I remembered my NYC niqab and hijabs photo essays from 2012, more evidence of creeping Islam- CAIR- ISNA- ICNA – the Linda Sarsours- Muslim Brotherhoods, Muslim Student Assoc., slowly but surely bringing the 7th century to the public square – making it the ‘norm’.

Are the second- third generations of Muslims assimilating? Or not. Since I found the 7th Century walking around Times Square. I wondered. It was unsettling.

Compilation of Parts 1 and 2 (slide show)

Part 2- 2012 (slide show)

Part 1 – 2012 (slide show)

[Where indicated pictures and videos are property of Pamela Hall]

NYC Muslim Parade 2016 “One Umma,For God & Country”

Posted on October 8, 2016 by Pamela Hall | Leave a comment

The 31st Annual Muslim Day Parade (Sept. 25, 2016)
“One Umma, For God and Country.”

Nine years ago I first covered this annual Muslim “parade with no audience”
(’cause anyone interested is IN the parade)

Even so, “Takbir’s” and “Allahu Akbar’s”would ring through the air. Block after block. Down Madison Ave

Madison Avenue – from 38th to 26th St-

Starting around 2011, five years ago, a Turkish Muslim Day Street Festival was held just a few blocks west of the of the “26th annual Muslim Day Parade” (at the same time as the Muzzie Parade) Was this as a mistake of timing? Or a reason for the diminishing parade.

Turkish Days Street-Fest (Taste the Turkish Hospitality)
by celebrating the Great Seljuq Empire

Perhaps it was a red-flag denoting trouble amongst the Muslim factions. (see Facebook nudge below, “We intend to bring 10,000...) Did NOT happen.

This year’s press conference stressed how difficult it is to be a Muslim – American, maybe they were trying to explain the missing groups. (Fear? Intimidation?)

Those who came out to celebrate were mostly Indonesian Muslims. I’ve noticed that the Indonesian women are often the ones in niqabs – not just hijabs.

Some marched against abuse. (Hoping to end Sharia abuse?)

Will the Turk-undertaker, Erhan Yildirim, a respected Community Co-ordinator for the NYPD ( seen on his phone below) be educating the NYPD to fight (or to ignore) Sharia abuse? They’ll probably learn that abuse is the problem, not Islam.

The Puerto Rican Muslim above, wearing the “fakestinian” scarf, did a lot of talking with the press. Wonder if he would have been so chatty if asked about Sharia vs American Law.
(OR is that not a POLITE question?)

Missing were the many colorful multi-ethnic costumes and hijabs BUT, these two new participants on the sidelines, were peaceful protestors with a serious message.
The woman on the left said her father, a NYC fireman, died in the Twin Towers
As for the many Indonesian groups, they added lots of color by carrying (and wearing) an abundance of American flags along with their “Peace for All/Justice for All” signs.With so few Muslim schools and masjids marching, this intimate parade was spread out, with huge gaps between groups.

(see my parade video for more of the distaff marchers )

There were children ….. AND hijabs and niqabs …

(Lots of niqabs)

And LOTS of American flags marching for “One Umma – God and Country”

There was an abundance of “Peace Roses” for people ‘watching’ on the sidelines.

A beautiful child wth a peace rose and Old Glory…. But, FIRST, BEFORE the parade kicked-off, there was the zuhr prayer – at 1 pm

With the women kneeling behind the men…
Madison Avenue, once again, converted into a very public masjid. (see video)

Then we marched, lead by the NYPD Marching Band (no mounted color guard this year)

NYC Muslim officers carried banners for each group. One NYPD banner seemed WAY too religious. What if that had been a BIBLE instead of a Quran?

The parade marshals I’d seen before, except for this year’s Grand Marshal, Khazir Khan. Khan is the Pakistani Muslim-American father of United States Army Capt. Humayun Khan, killed in Iraq in 2004 .Khan walked with celeb, Russell Simmons and Imam Shamsi Ali. However, the politicians did NOT march down Madison Ave. They joined up at the END of the parade – for photo ops . Like David Weprin (NY State Assemblyman). Wonder why he didn’t march .

Many of the usual political faces were missing: Linda Sarsour (running for office soon, I hear), Debbie Almontaser, Rabbi Michael Feinberg and his Leftie Jewish associates. Councilman Jackson (a Muslim revert) and Marxist loving, Charles Barron.

10,000 in attendance? Not as they marched. (Or prayed)

Nor when they assembled to hear the speakers at the end of the parade (26th St to 25th St )

(BTW- New this year, the merchant booths were in a short block going east on 26th St)

Found an interesting article about Imam Shamsi Ali, an Indonesian Muslim who, in 2o11, was”fired” from the the Islamic Cultural Center on 96th Street . Did the parade shrink because of Ali and a religious conflict on how to be a (moderate) Muslim-American?

Shamsi Ali: The rise and fall of a New York imam

“An imam once regarded as one of New York’s leading religious figures had a sudden fall from grace. So what does the story of one man’s attempt to adapt Islam to modern America tell us, asks Sune Engel Rasmussen.

Before the controversy that cut him down, Shamsi Ali was the leading figure of moderate Islam in New York, for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

For a decade, the biggest mosque in New York, the Islamic Cultural Center on 96th Street in East Harlem, was his stage. Here, the diminutive Indonesian with a brusque demeanour praised democracy and vigorously condemned extremism, to thousands of worshippers. Outside the mosque, he taught the FBI and congressmen in Washington about inter-religious co-existence.

He befriended presidents too. In the days after 11 September 2001, the city of New York picked him to represent the Muslim community on President George W Bush’s interfaith visit to Ground Zero. Another president, Bill Clinton, wrote the foreword to the new memoir, Sons Of Abraham, that Ali co-authored with a Jewish rabbi he counts among his close friends.

Although many of his conservative peers interpret the Koran to prohibit the use of music, Ali listens to rap and hangs out with hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons. He even shrugs, disinterested, at cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

In short, Shamsi Ali is the Muslim that liberal America wants. But he is not the leader all New York’s Muslims want. Ali is a divisive figure in New York’s Islamic community, and two years ago, the same mosque that gave him a platform to grow influential and popular, suddenly pulled the rug from under him.”

“How to be a Muslim- American”… Who is winning?
(Who is losing?) …. Can we tell??

As usual, there were a couple of non-Muslim factions marching. About 6 people from a multi-faith group of Christians and Jews (Expecting Miracles) With two familiar hard-core lefties who always march for “fakestine”.

Since it’s considered unseemly to conflate Islam (the Religion of “Peace”) with anything negative … They (and the press) “negate the negative” with lots of dawah; community and inter-faith outreach with the ubiquitous memes like: “Muslim-Americans want PEACE.” They support “God and Country.”

The news coverage of the 2016 parade focused on “One Umma, For God and Country…. and a Desire to Show Dedication to God and U.S.” (As did a couple of speakers) Guess there’s nothing like a Live Rap duet video (from Muslim Day Parade Facebook page) to say “I am a Muslim-American”. [This leads to a time coded excerpted transcript of live feed)

Imam Shamsi Ali said it was important to show “there’s no contradiction between being a good American and a good Muslim at a time when some people are conflating the actions of terrorists with Islam. “Inherently American values and Islamic values are in line,” he said. “It is about democracy, it is about freedom, it is about religious tolerance, it is about working together with all people. Justice for all.”

Zaki Abdul from East Harlem said he [came out] to show what a large gathering of Muslims looks like. “Muslims generally are people of peace, those people who are really subscribed to Islam according to Islam,” he said. “People should see that.”

Found this twitter post/picture of Khizr Khan speaking ….

Rama Issa ‏@ramitcha1 1

“Be part of interfaith activities, be part of the community and be part of the solution” Khizr Khan, Grand Marshal at the Muslim Day Parade

From Pamela Geller- who is very much a PART of the solution.

jewish-new-year ” The coming year is a momentous one. It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good if the forces of evil have their way in the coming Presidential election. The order of the world, the future of freedom hangs in the balance. The choice could not be more stark or vastly different. Statism vs. individualism. Freedom vs. slavery. Civilization vs. savagery.”

The facts – the truth- ignored – denied.

Those Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes ‘Soaring to Their Highest Levels’ Since 2001. Debunking the media hype.

“ It’s been ten days since Eric Lichtblau published his piece about the “under-reporting” of attacks on Muslims. How many attacks on Muslims by non-Muslims in this country have there been in that time? None. And how many attacks on non-Muslims by Muslims have there been in the same time?

And as for under-reporting on a monumental scale, it is only thanks to a leak that we all learned, a few days ago, that in one year the FBI had 7,712 “terrorist encounters.” None of them were reported to the American public until now. “

And more – from Facebook :

“Islam is not a religion but an ideology which incites hate, violence, intolerance and terror. Islamists are terminators. You cannot bargain with them. You cannot reason with them. They do not feel pity or remorse, or fear. And they absolutely will not stop, ever, until all the infidels are dead or have submitted to Islam. The only language the Islamists understand is the language of force.”

truth is the new hate speech geller

The TRUTH ….. it’s a terrible thing to waste!

My four Flickr slide shows (click picture to access)

Part 1 – the set up

Part 2 – The Prayers

Part 3 – The Parade

Part 4 – The end of the Parade

[Pictures and videos are property of Pamela Hall, except where indicated]

Tag Archives: imam shamsi ali