The group behind a controversial rally originally planned in Portland, but criticized for being anti-Muslim, has applied for a permit to hold the event in Seattle.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate groups and extremists, calls ACT for America the largest grassroots anti-Muslim group in the country.
Anthony Parish, who is organizing the group’s “Anti-Sharia march for human rights,” says the rally is not anti-Muslim, but rather against parts of Islam’s teachings. He describes ACT for America as a group fighting against terrorism.
ACT for America moved the rally from Portland to Seattle when Portland’s mayor urged them and officials to cancel it after violence broke out on a Portland light rail train last Friday.
Police say Jeremy Christian attacked three men and killed two of them when they tried to stop Christian’s anti-Muslim tirade against two women. One of them was wearing a hijab.
“I’m going to be telling people we don’t tolerate violence,” Parish says, adding that the Portland killings had nothing to do with the group.
“We’re not against Muslims,” he says. “We’re against this barbaric ideology called Sharia.”
He cited parts of Sharia that pertain to punishments and how women are treated.
“Sharia is a word for Islamic teachings -- people pray at home, they love their parents, take care of their parents because of Islamic teachings … it’s the reason many Muslim women wear head scarves,” Arsalan Bukhari, executive director for the Council on American Islamic Relations in Washington state, said.
“There is no place for violence against women in society. When people see that, they should correct the issue versus blaming a whole group of people for it."
As for Parish’s assertion that Sharia can be separated from Muslim people, Bukhari responded, "We see bias in that. In the same way as someone would have said -- we’re against African-American culture, but we love African-American people … the average person would see right through it.”
He says the rally is promoting hate speech, which incites violence.
Mayor Ed Murray condemned the rally, but illustrated the fine line the city must walk under the
constitution of the United States.
“To think that people would come to Seattle and have a hate march against Muslims is reprehensible, but under the first amendment we're going to respect their right to free speech."
The permit has not been approved by the city. It could take a few days or even more than a week.