Upper Darby cops and Muslims speak out against ISIS
Amid growing tensions in U.S., police and Muslims highlight their alliance
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-pmn.s3.amazonaws.com/public/6JK4UCYME5BCVBSWVGJLLBCTKM.jpg)
"MUSLIMS HAVE feelings."
"REAL Muslims are peaceful."
"All humans united against terrorism."
So read just a few of the signs that were carried, clutched and hung up yesterday morning by dozens of Muslim men, women and children outside of the Masjid Al-Madinah Upper Darby Islamic Center.
Muslim leaders from the center, on 69th Street near Walnut, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Upper Darby police at a news conference to denounce ISIS and affirm their alliance with the police department and their status as American citizens.
"ISIS is like Hitler," said Abu Amin Rahman, of the Islamic Center. "We are not them and they are not with us."
Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said his department has worked with the Islamic community over the last year to address their concerns and ensure their safety.
"Today was the day we wanted to go public with our relationship," Chitwood said.
According to the township's top cop and leaders at the center, there have not been any reported incidents of discrimination against the Islamic community in Upper Darby.
However, the Muslim leaders expressed growing concern over the "outrageous remarks" of a certain presidential candidate and the overall discourse in the United States about their religion and their allegiances.
Kamal Rahman, one of the center's leaders, offered an open invitation to anyone in the community to come and visit the center and the mosque.
"We are here. We are proud of it. We are proud to be American," Rahman said. "By getting to know one another we can persevere through this challenging time."
Chitwood noted that Upper Darby has long been and continues to be a "melting pot" of a township where people from 100 countries from across the world speak 70 languages.
"We want to make sure everybody understands we are part of the community, just like Muslims are part of the community," Chitwood said.
215-854-4225
On Twitter: @FarFarrAway
Online: ph.ly/crime
Blog: ph.ly/Delco