We Belong Here

Thank you.

Now our first

ad from Islamic center of Memphis.

Brothers and sisters, friends and neighbors.

I greet you, with the greetings of all the prophets, the greeting of the children of Abraham, the greeting of peace.

Peace be upon all of you. It is an honor to stand before you today, in front of the Martin Luther King Civil Rights Museum, steps away from where one of the greatest American icons and heroes lost his life, defending the rights of human beings to live a dignified and free life. I recall.

I recall the words of MLK, and this speech is gonna have a lot of his words, when he said, the time is always right. To do what is right, friends, we are gathered here today to do what is right.

It was no less of a person than George Washington, who presciently warned us to and I quote, guard ourselves against the imposters of pretend patriotism, and quote, The impostors of pretend patriotism. Does that sound familiar?

I believe that it was exactly the type of person that is currently occupying the White House that George Washington had in mind. imposters have pretended patriotism, our current president, our current president, was elected to office on the promise of quote, unquote, making America great again, we all agree with that vision. We all want to see our country prosper. We all want to see our nation flourish. But America will only flourish if it remains committed to the ideals upon which it was founded. Religious Freedom for all, justice.

The type of rhetoric that we have seen from this current president throughout his campaigns, and even after being elected, does not represent any of those values. The laws that he has passed are antithetical to the values of the vast majority of God left loving and patriotic American citizens. How can anybody result in canceling and repealing health care laws against the poor? How can anybody wish to build imposing walls with neighbors? How can anybody want to shut down the borders and banned legal immigrants and even green card holders and then claim that they're upholding freedom?

America will not be made safer by spreading hatred or by spreading fear. America will not become great. By cutting itself off from neighbors. America will not raise its torch of liberty by breaking up families and denying treatment to the sick. I quote.

I quote Martin Luther King again, let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred and quote, our country, our country, no matter how precious it is to us. And now No matter how much we are allegiance to it, as human beings we also owe allegiance to the rest of humanity, to strive for peace and for justice.

And as religious people, our ultimate allegiance will be with our Creator. And it was our founders, the founders of this very nation who declared in the founding document, that he was the creator who has endowed all of us with certain self evident inalienable rights, that all men are created equal. That's all.

Muslims and Christians, Jews and Hindus, whites and blacks, Latinos and Asians, immigrants and locals, we are all equally human.

patriotism,

patriotism. True patriotism is not just to show how vigorously we can wave the flag. It's not just to show how viciously we can thump our chests. True patriotism is to fight for what's right for your country, and to not allow the far right and the alt right to ruin our country.

And democracy. And democracy is based on the premise that extraordinary change takes place at the hands of ordinary people. So our values are patriotism, and our commitment to democracy, and our religious beliefs. All of these things force us to stand here today and do what we can to voice our opposition to these inhumane and arbitrary policies. As we stand at the altar of Martin Luther King's last few moments, let us recall his statement. injustice anywhere is a threat to justice as

friends, friends, MLK also said, in the end, we will not remember the words of our enemies, but rather the silence of our friends.

I'm not going to be silent.

I for one, will not be cowed down or intimidated. And I asked all of you to join me in speaking truth to power and standing up for freedom and standing up for justice. I am not a Latino, but I will stand with the Latino community.

I am a born citizen. But I will stand with my immigrant brothers and sisters.

I am not a refugee, but I will speak up on behalf of all refugees.

God willing, we will make America greater again. Do you know how do you know how

this coming together and unifying in spite of all of our differences, in spite of our ethnic backgrounds, in spite of our religious identities, in spite of our political affiliations, unity out of diversity, not division, strength through support, not separation, Harmony through love, not hatred. This is what will America make? This is what will make America great again. So for all of that, Donald Trump, for all of that. I like to thank you but not for the reasons you're thinking. Because Because of you, every one of us has a new sense of patriotism.

Because of you, Mr. Trump, because of you, we truly value the freedom that this country gave us.

We understand how important it is for us to be free American citizens. And because of you, Mr. Trump, you have succeeded in uniting all of us to be one large family.

by opposing you, Mr. Trump, and by watching the day you leave office, we will make America great again.

One out of many out of many all of us stand here as one piece and out May God bless