Raise Your Voice, No Muslim Ban Ever Prayer Vigil NYC (pics and vids)

"Raise Your Voice" Prayer Vigil in Foley Square - October 15, 2017 - 6 pm (The JDL was there too - in SUPPORT of travel RESTRICTIONS)

"On October 18th, the newest Muslim Ban will fully go into effect. Our coalition is mobilizing supporters to go to Washington that same day, but we’re also organizing for candlelight vigil the weekend before. As this administration continues to exclude thousands of people with discriminatory policy, we stand up and fight back... to show the world that New Yorkers stand with our brothers and sisters affected by the Muslim Ban! #NoMuslimBanEver"

This event began with Debbie Almontaser (Intifada NYC T shirt) as she announced the Maghreb Prayer, with a look at the crowd and the JDL protestors;  then an excerpt of the Maghreb prayer.

(video 1)



After the Maghreb prayer Almontaser introduced the groups, many progressive Jewish Groups, that supported the march, rally, prayer vigil. [video 2]



Queens Solidarity Coalition
South Asian Fund for Education, Scholarship & Training -Safest
Veterans for American Ideals NY-NJ
Jewish Voice for Peace-New York City
Arab American Association of New York

Lastly, they were followed with words from members of the affected (Muslim) states  as Almontaser introduced two of the speakers (video 3)

Vice President for Academic Affairs & Associate Provost Dr. Reza Fakhari, elected by the Board of Directors of Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) as its Vice Chairman,

Almontaser mentioned the Yemeni Bodega Strike, where as many as 5,000 business owners and their supporters gathered in Brooklyn for a protest against President Trump’s immigration ban. The speaker led Yemeni Bodega strike and is Vice president of the Yemeni American Merchants Assoc. ,  Zaid Nagi.

Flickr Slideshow of the Muslim Prayer Vigil and The JDL counter Protest

[Pictures and Videos are Property of Pamela Hall]

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FYI- The Facebook info-link for the Wednesday - October 18 - No Muslim Ban March and Rally in DC

#NoMuslimBanEver Campaign, was a grassroots awareness and mobilization effort that "happened" in the weeks leading up to and on October 18, 2017, when the newest "Muslim Ban" went into effect.


Dr. Almontaser is currently President of The Board Of Directors of the Muslim Community Network. The Muslim Community Network identifies and cultivates the leadership skills of all Americans to fully participate in the social landscape.

" MCN’s strategies include creating strong relationships with other faith-based communities; articulating and advancing an understanding of the need for citizen engagement; developing the skills and ability of our community to affect change; and building the next generation’s identity and capacity as leaders.

• Social Justice Framework – We use a social justice framework to encourage engagement in addressing the root causes of inequality.
• Inclusion, Unity, and Diversity – We work with all of New York’s diverse Muslim and non-Muslim communities. We value diverse leadership and voices.  We seek to facilitate the emergence of a Muslim identity that transcends generational, ethnic, gender, racial and class-based boundaries.
• Mutual Consultation – We believe in mutual consultation as a decision making process which works to build consensus and cooperation among diverse opinions, identities and experiences.
• Self Determination  — We create spaces for all New Yorkers to engage one another and take an active role in their society. Rather than attempt to represent all Muslims or New Yorkers, we prefer to bring people to the table to represent themselves.
• Empowerment – We facilitate individual and community empowerment by providing spaces for reflection and consciousness-raising within the Muslim community, which develops the confidence and self-reliance necessary for the realization of power.
• Partnership – We value partnership as a means of effectively expanding the ways in which we can serve multiple communities through multiple methods.
• Creating Connections – We do not seek to reinvent the wheel, but rather to connect those with experience and expertise to audiences that can benefit from their teachings.

We believe that social justice is both a goal and a process. We also believe in supporting the Muslim community to not just actively work to assure its own civil rights, but the rights of other groups as well. We believe in cultivating cross-generational leadership which will serve as a foundation for the building truly inclusive communities."