Anti-Islamophobia ‘pill’ at US convention pulls crowd

BALTIMORE, United States

The “Islamophobin” pill, launched by a Muslim association to counter Islamophobia in America, has attracted crowds at the Islamic Circle of North America-Muslim American Society convention in the U.S. state of Maryland.

One of the main attractions at the three-day convention, which began Saturday and ends Monday night, was the stand of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which recently launched a satirical public awareness campaign to challenge the increase in Islamophobia in the U.S.

The council’s “Islamophobin” pill is actually a sugar-free-chewing gum, which, according to the body, “cures” people of Islamophobia.

The “Islamophobin” aims to spread love and advises Muslim haters to take two “pills” a day, which may result in "peaceful coexistence," the council said.

Senior CAIR official Corey Saylor told Anadolu Agency Sunday that while Islamophobia is a very serious issue, "bigotry is something that needs to be made fun of."

Saylor also hoped Muslims registered to vote in this year’s presidential elections would make a difference.

CAIR also put up big cardboard cutouts of Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders at their stand, asking visitors to convey their messages to the presidential hopefuls on how they should fight Islamophobia.

Islamophobia in the U.S. has increased ever since Trump made his anti-Muslim comments last year when he said that all Muslims should be banned from entering America.

According to the society’s Deputy Secretary General Waqas Syed, at least 26,000 Muslims across the U.S. have so far visited the three-day convention.

Syed said over 400 companies and non-governmental organizations have their stands in the convention area, where over 100 leading Muslim preachers and scholars, including Nouman Ali Khan, Anis Ahmad and Jamal Badawi are also giving lectures on various Islamic topics.

Among topics addressed during the convention were challenges of Muslims living in North America, Islamophobia, discrimination and how to deal with problems Muslims face on a daily basis.

Anadolu Agency’s stand at the convention was also popular with visitors, who were introduced to the news wire service’s special package that focuses solely on news from the Islamic world.

Subscribers to the new Anadolu World Report News Package will now be able to easily follow important and breaking news from the Islamic world, watch live broadcasts, track an events calendar and have access to exclusive interviews with Muslim leaders conducted by AA’s extensive regional and global network of journalists.

In addition to analytical reports, a constantly updated, searchable and indexed photography catalogue and collections will also be available. Subscribers can view images related to important programs and dates in the Islamic world, and watch edited videos.

The AA package is considered to be the first specialized news offering about developments in the Muslim world.

Another highlight of the convention was when dozens of teenagers gathered around a huge Palestinian flag to show solidarity with people living under the occupied Palestinian territories.

Sabreen Gudah, a 15-year-old American-Palestinian, said: "Most of us are from Palestine, whereas a lot of us aren't. But we all came and held the flag to show that we are all united."