An order from a federal judge in Hawaii yesterday (October 17) and another in Maryland today (October 18) halted the third iteration of president Donald Trump’s attempted travel ban. Recognizing that order’s Islamophobic rhetoric, Advocates for Youth and its constituent Muslim Youth Leadership Council celebrate Muslims’ complex humanity with the #MuslimAnd social media campaign today.
“We refuse to let this administration define us, oppress our culture and institutionalize hate against our community,” Urooj Arshad of Advocates for Youth said in the organization’s announcement. “We are diverse, expansive and intersectional—and we will fight back against the hateful and small-minded narrative that the administration continues to put forth.”
The announcement notes that #MuslimAnd was designed by the council—which is made up of Muslim youth organizers working on community health initiatives—in solidarity with the #NoMuslimBanEver campaign. A coalition of immigration and Muslim community grassroots organizations launched #NoMuslimBanEver last month to mobilize against the travel ban. That campaign culminated with a protest near the White House this morning. NBC Washington correspondent Meagan Fitzgerald tweeted the following video from the action:
Hundreds of ppl in Lafayette Square participating in the #NoMuslimBanEver march. Trying to send message to Trump and his amin. pic.twitter.com/N0lf1yw1Dm
— Meagan Fitzgerald (@MeaganNBCDC) October 18, 2017
Many of the tweets using #MuslimAnd also included #NoMuslimBanEver, with some showing participants at the DC action and other solidarity actions across the country. Here are seven tweets encapsulating the campaign’s call:
#MuslimAnd Magical.
Quite literally.#MyLC#NoMuslimBanEver pic.twitter.com/y6XutNLw30— Controversial Tay (@MissTayAmari) October 18, 2017
#MuslimAnd I deserve to live a life without fear of whether or not I’ll see my family again. #NoMuslimBanEver
— Nilofar Ganjaie (@NilofarGanjaie) October 18, 2017
Rally in DC’s Lafayette Square today. #NoMuslimBanEver #MuslimAnd pic.twitter.com/KA7ruwJfUc
— Advocates For Youth (@AdvocatesTweets) October 18, 2017
#MuslimAnd HUMAN. That should be enough. #NoMuslimBanEver
— Eissa Saeed (@senoreissa) October 18, 2017
#Muslimand Angry, unapologetic and present pic.twitter.com/hOkiGrKg0v
— No (@la2mabidi) October 18, 2017
#MuslimAnd intersectional Queen
— Da illest (@hanipenny) October 18, 2017
#NoMuslimBanEver because statistically the only terrorists America needs to be worried about are white supremacists. #MuslimAnd pic.twitter.com/nOuEC1xGDm
— Controversial Tay (@MissTayAmari) October 18, 2017