An event to understand the Muslim community has organized  on Saturday at the mosque in Denver. The program aimed to  build bridges with Muslim community and downplay ‘Islamophobia’ was attended by religious and  city leaders.

According to the  participants of different faiths,  the recent  Brussels attacks have fueled anti-Muslim sentiment and Islamophobia.
Denver Mayor, Michael Hancock, said that,  “Just because an idiot does what an idiot would do, it doesn’t mean that everyone who looks like that idiot is an idiot too.”

“We have a right and a responsibility to stand up when we hear the hateful words that are only meant to divide us,” Hancock said.
Nadeen Ibrahim, a member of the Coalition for an Inclusive Colorado, said that,  “With situations like these, a lot of us feel very nervous, and scared in our own communities.”

“We don’t know if somebody’s going to come out and use their fear and transform it into anger, and a form of hostility, and perhaps even physical violence against us. We’ve already seen it in our community. And we don’t want to see it anymore.”

Aurora Police Chief,  Nick Metz, said that, “As we are seeing things happen throughout the world, and as Muslims tend to get blamed for a lot of that and the hate becomes more and more, I want people in our community to know, especially the Muslim community, that you are part of our community.”

Nandini