A small crowd of protesters carrying guns arrived outside an Irving, Texas, mosque which was holding an event to welcome refugees, carrying signs that read, “Say No To Syrian Refugees,” according to the Dallas Morning News.
The protest was organized by the Bureau of American Islamic Relations, meant to mimic the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). The group’s president, David Wright, told the Dallas Morning News that he wanted to see the refugees that arrived at the event.
“We want to see how many are actually women and children,” he said.
The mosque’s event was not specifically for refugees from Syria. The mosque’s imam, Zia Sheikh, told the Dallas Morning News that refugees from many countries had been invited to the event.
Another day, another gun-wielding protest at Irving mosque https://t.co/Bl45L9POG6 pic.twitter.com/VjBl1XUfoC
— Sarah Mervosh (@smervosh) February 20, 2016
A lone counter-protester also stood outside the mosque on Saturday holding a sign that read, “Texas is big enough for EVERYONE, Y’ALL!!!” according to the Dallas Morning News.
This is why we fight ISIS - we’re against gun-toting men bullying women and children.
Nothing more MURKAN than telling women and children to fuckoff, eh?
This person. I like them.
I’d love to see what would happen if a bunch of gun-toting Muslims showed up at the local Baptist church tomorrow morning.
I wanted to go to one of these events at a mosque to show support for our wonderful Muslim citizens and immigrants and neighbors. There is a large mosque close to my home although it is not this one. But the mosque asked people to not do so because BAIR would be there and they didn’t want to chance a bad outcome of any possible confrontation. Which I see as an example of a caring leadership.
I have been to a couple of their open houses. Had a wonderful time and learned a lot. I wish these ignorant, fearful BAIR people would put away their guns and go to an open house.