Twitter has launched #NotMyAmerica in response to yesterday’s anti-Islamic protest at a Phoenix, Ariz., mosque.
The hashtag supports the hundreds of counterprotesters who overwhelmed yesterday’s rally, which was organized by an ex-Marine and promoted by biker communities and other right-wing members. The protesters surrounded a local mosque, some bearing assault weapons. The counterprotesters bore signs reading “Love thy neighbor.”
Tolerance outnumbers hate. Thank you for showing solidarity proving groups like #ISIS wrong #NotMyAmerica #PHxMosque pic.twitter.com/cUmGqsOGVW
— Meriam Sabih (@meriamsabih) May 30, 2015
I’M SO PROUD OF PHOENIX
— James Barnes II (@jamesbarnes2) May 30, 2015
Christians Jews Atheist protect Mosque from Bigots#PHxMosque #NotMyAmerica #UniteBlue #GOP pic.twitter.com/DCqcEbbCka
The hashtag highlights the racism and bigotry of the protests, as well as the hypocrisy of right-wing religious extremists harassing peaceful Muslim communities.
Oh so you carry guns and rifles to protest in front of a mosque yet the media calls you peaceful? #WhitePrivilege #NotMyAmerica
— Sara (@MlleSaraKas) May 30, 2015
https://twitter.com/grace8ming/status/604664754053865473
Hmmm… So to demonstrate #Islam‘s a violent religion a bunch of angry Christians surrounded a #PHxMosque w/assault weapons. #NotMyAmerica
— Jesse Benn (@JesseBenn) May 30, 2015
Everything about the #PHxMosque protest is vile and shameful. Seeing armed people surrounding a place of worship…. #NotMyAmerica
— Rachel Hawkins/Erin Sterling (@LadyHawkins) May 30, 2015
Takes a lot of courage to stand outside a church carrying a gun while kids are inside.
— Corporate Neoliberal Shill (@SkepticPugilist) May 30, 2015
Oh wait no it doesn’t. #NotMyAmerica
The protest comes after a month of tension between Christian extremists and Islamic extremists over a shooting in Garland, Texas. The shooting occurred at a free speech rally in which participants were encouraged to “Draw Muhammad” in defiance of Islamic extremists, like those behind last year’s Charlie Hebdo attack. Although a member of Islamic extremist group ISIS claimed responsibility for the Garland shooting, the incident prompted a wave of backlash and hostility against peaceful Muslim communities.
Prior to Friday’s rally, Phoenix area mosques received death threats and arson threats. This resulted in similar threats from Islam extremists, prompting the rally’s organizer to claim he was going into hiding.
But many of the online counterprotesters pointed out that ISIS and other extremist groups were not representative of the Muslim-American community as a whole.
why do people believe ISIS represents islam? does the KKK represent christianity? #NotMyAmerica
— Daniella (@daniella_beans) May 30, 2015
They also noted that the “freedom of speech” mantra attached to both this and the previous “Draw Muhammad” rally was deceptive:
So “Freedom of speech”. I wonder how those idiots at the PHX Mosque would react if people came out burning the flag? #NotMyAmerica
— LeftwardSwing ♿🕊️ 💉 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 (@LeftwardSwing) May 30, 2015
Using freedom of speech to protest someone’s freedom to practice their religion is ridiculous and counterintuitive. #NotMyAmerica
— Kim (@oh_machine) May 30, 2015
There were also plenty of right-wing commenters on the hashtag, along with plenty of talking at cross-purposes:
https://twitter.com/GrnEyedMandy/status/604657442274680832
It’s enough to make you think liberals really do want a 2nd civil war. #tcot #NotMyAmerica http://t.co/HuadgCXlZt
— Joe Newby (@jnewby1956) May 30, 2015
Although the rally’s founder, Jon Ritzheimer, stated on his Facebook Friday that the rally was not anti-Islamic, he showed up at the rally wearing a T-shirt that read “Fuck Islam.” The anti-Islamic stance of the protests have been widely condemned in the media.
But as one Twitter user noted, perhaps the strongest condemnation of all comes from America herself:
Statue of Liberty, #sculpture symbolic of ” UNITY ” , USA . Her light shines for “ALL”. NoHate > #NotMyAmerica pic.twitter.com/D5dOdL1aWB
— ArtOnArtsBlog (@ArTallks) May 30, 2015
H/T Huffington Post | Photo via jamesbarnes2/Twitter
