Muslim Woman Wearing a Hijab Escorted Out of Donald Trump Rally in South Carolina
Police in South Carolina escorted a Muslim woman wearing a hijab out of Donald Trump's presidential campaign rally on Friday after she stood up in silent protest against his hateful anti-Muslim rhetoric.
While speaking to a large crowd in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Trump suggested that Syrian refugees fleeing the war town country are part of the Islamic State terror group.
Refugees from Syria "could be ISIS ... and by the way, it is turning out that they probably are ISIS," said the GOP front-runner, who has also called for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S., reports NBC News.
During his speech, Rose Hamid, a 56-year-old flight attendant wearing traditional Muslim garb and a T-shirt that read "Salam, I come in peace," stood up in silence in the stand directly behind Trump. That's when people backing the billionaire businessman began chanting Trump's name while pointing at Hamid and the man standing up beside her.
Eventually, they were escorted out as Trump supporters jeered, booed and shouted "get out." One person even yelled, "You have a bomb," said Hamid.
"The ugliness really came out fast and that's really scary," Hamid told CNN after she was ejected.
Once Hamid and a few others were escorted out of the rally, Trump commented on the incident, saying, "There is hatred against us that is unbelievable. It's their hatred, it's not our hatred."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a leading Muslim civil liberties group, has since issued a statement demanding an apology from Trump.
"The image of a Muslim woman being abused and ejected from a political rally sends a chilling message to American Muslims and to all those who value our nation's traditions of religious diversity and civic participation," CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said. "Donald Trump should issue a public apology to the Muslim woman kicked out of his rally and make a clear statement that American Muslims are welcome as fellow citizens and as participants in the nation's political process."
Before the event, Hamid told CNN that her purpose for attending the rally was to combat negative stereotypes and misconceptions about Muslims.
"I figured that most Trump supporters probably never met a Muslim so I figured that I'd give them the opportunity to meet one," she said.
"People don't have a chance to see anything other than the Muslims they see on TV," Hamid added.
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