By Joe Ragusa
BLOOMINGTON – A few hundred Bloomington-Normal residents gathered on the steps of the McLean County Museum of History Wednesday night to stand up against religious intolerance.
“We are all Muslims tonight. We are all Christians tonight. We are all Jews tonight. We are all members of the same community tonight,” rally co-organizer Michael Gizzi said.
Sheheryar Muftee with the Islamic Center of Bloomington-Normal said it was great to see so many people come out and support the cause.
“It’s just overwhelming that we have folks here in our town and in our country that support the minorities the way that is meant to be enshrined in our constitution,” Muftee said.
Normal Community High School teacher Kelly Keogh said it’s important to battle back against the hateful rhetoric towards Muslims.
“I think it’s important that we do, when you hear statements like that and these flippant statements when people say such hateful things, that we do stand together and say, ‘Not in our town.’”
Several religious groups co-sponsored the rally along with Not In Our Town.
Joe Ragusa can be reached at joe.ragusa@cumulus.com.
