Zahra Billoo talks at the Harvey Milk Memorial Vigil
Channel: Chris Stevenson
Date: 2016-11-29

Zahra Billoo, from the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA) speaks at the 2016 Harvey Milk Memorial Vigil.

Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club: http://www.milkclub.org

Council on American-Islamic Relations: http://ca.cair.com/sfba/

18 months ago we didn't think this was possible.

A month has nearly passed now and I keep thinking we're going to wake up and it's an episode of Scandal, or Madame Secretary or Designated Survivor. 

It hasn't sunk in even for me. This weekend we received reports of mosques across the country receiving letters that read, and I will just quote:

"There's a new sheriff in town. President Donald Trump [boos] will cleanse America and and make it shine again. And he's going to start with you Muslims. He's going to do to you Muslims what Hitler did to the Jews. You would be wise to pack your bags and get out of Dodge." 

That letter is probably the mildest of what we have seen in anti-muslim hate in the past 18 months. In just the 20 days now since the election there have been over a hundred anti-muslim attempts at intimidation and hate crimes. 

Women in the Bay Area have had their head scarves pulled off. 

Children report that they're being told at school by their fellow peers "you will be deported, you will be registered" 

But this isn't just about my community.

This is about all of us. There have been anti-black hate crimes and murders right here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Anti-latino hate crimes and murders right here in the San Francisco Bay Area. And anti-lgbt hate crimes and murders right here in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In some ways it feels like we have gone 50, 60, 70 years backwards because we're talking about Japanese internment again.

But in other ways i find strength in gatherings like this. Because this is the image of us moving forward. People from all walks of life committing to standing together committing to moving forward [heckling] and instead organizing to ensure that our racist, homophobic, Islamophobic, anti-woman president has nothing more than a title.

Because we will not let him break our individuals, our families, or our communities.

Thank you so much for being here and for your continued solidarity in the days, weeks, and potentially years ahead. I know that we are not alone, we are stronger together. 

Thank you.