Miami passes resolution condemning hate speech, violence against Muslims

Rasa - Nezar Hamze stood in front of the Miami Commission last week, holding back tears before thanking officials for placing a resolution condemning hate speech and violence against Muslims on the agenda.

News ID: 424473

Date: 21 October 2016 - 16:54

RNA - Nezar Hamze stood in front of the Miami Commission last week, holding back tears before thanking officials for placing a resolution condemning hate speech and violence against Muslims  on the agenda.

Hamze looked down, cleared his voice  and began to speak.

"Wanted to thank you for your courage commissioner,"  Hamze, operations director with the Council of American-Islamic Relations, and Broward Sheriff's Office deputy. "As a father I appreciate your courage. It's hard raising children when politicians attack your faith and for you to have the courage, the political courage, which is often absent, is tremendous."

On Oct. 13, the commission passed a resolution condemning hate speech and violence directed at Muslims. The item was intended to show "solidarity with Muslims and those targeted for their ethnicity, race, or religion."

The item was sponsored by Vice Chair Ken Russell and passed unanimously by the commission.

Russell said there are thousands of Muslim residents in Miami who have "needed a voice to speak for them."

"And it's not about courage as a politician, it's simply heartfelt empathy for someone's freedom to express their religion and not be persecuted for it," Russell said. "And to recognize it as a religion of love. Not to judge a group of people by the minority few within their population that commit bad crimes."

There are about 27 Islamic centers in Miami-Dade County and about 60 in the tri-county area, with close to 120,000 to 140,000 Muslims living in the tri-county area, according to Wilfredo Ruiz, communications director with CAIR Florida.

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