The Million Muslim March was a massive protest march in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, on September 11, 2013, attended by several dozen non-Muslim
9/11 conspiracy theorists
9/11 conspiracy theory, conspiracy theories attribute the preparation and execution of the September 11 attacks against the United States to parties other than, or in addition to, al-Qaeda. These include the theory that high-level government ...
. It was organized by the
American Muslim Political Action Committee (AMPAC) which supports the conspiracy theory.
Lead-up
On July 16, 2013,
U.S. News
''U.S. News & World Report'' (USNWR) is an American media company that publishes news, consumer advice, rankings, and analysis. It was launched in 1948 as the merger of domestic-focused weekly newspaper ''U.S. News'' and international-focused ...
reported that the Million Muslim March had been scheduled for September 11 by
9/11 conspiracy theorists
9/11 conspiracy theory, conspiracy theories attribute the preparation and execution of the September 11 attacks against the United States to parties other than, or in addition to, al-Qaeda. These include the theory that high-level government ...
. On August 15, 2013 MD Rabbi Alam appeared on the Fox National News with
Sean Hannity
Sean Patrick Hannity (born December 30, 1961) is an American talk show host, conservative political commentator, and author. He is the host of '' The Sean Hannity Show'', a nationally syndicated talk radio show, and has also hosted a commen ...
, to defend the Million Muslim March against the host. The following day, U.S. News reported that it had been renamed as the Million American March Against Fear (MAMAF). On August 17,
Fox News
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
reported that AMPAC had faced a backlash for planning the march.
Opposition
The
Council on American-Islamic Relations
A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...
(CAIR), a Muslim civil rights group in the United States, condemned the march.
Zuhdi Jasser of the
American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD) called the plan provocative, and criticized the group's
Truther ideology.
Sheila Musaji of ''
The American Muslim'' magazine calls AMPAC all hype and no substance.
A group called '
2 Million Bikers to DC'
counterprotested the march, and raised money for the families of 9/11 victims. Their
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...
page passed 40,000 members prior to their protest.
[Bikers roll out for DC 9/11 counter protest with a solid plan](_blank)
- BizPac Review, 3 September 2013, updated 8 September 2013. By 11 pm EST on the day of the demonstrations, the Facebook "likes" had grown to 254,000. The group attempted, unsuccessfully, to secure a "no-stop permit" for the ride.
Day of march
A Washington D.C. memo on September 10 said to expect hundreds at the Million Muslim March and 3,000 for the 2 Million Bikers to D.C. At noon on September 11, 25 people gathered for the Million Muslim March, including speaker
Cornel West
Cornel Ronald West (born June 2, 1953) is an American philosopher, political activist, social critic, actor, and public intellectual. The grandson of a Baptist minister, West focuses on the role of race, gender, and class in American society an ...
.
In total a few dozen attended the March, whose speakers were mostly non-Muslim
9/11 conspiracy theorists
9/11 conspiracy theory, conspiracy theories attribute the preparation and execution of the September 11 attacks against the United States to parties other than, or in addition to, al-Qaeda. These include the theory that high-level government ...
, including
Art Olivier
Arthur C. Olivier (born August 24, 1957) is an American politician. He is the former mayor of Bellflower, California and was the Libertarian Party (United States), Libertarian candidate for Vice President of the United States of America, Vice Pre ...
and
Merlin Miller.
They were met by 20 Christian counter-protesters.
[ The biker event was estimated to be 75,000 by ]UPI
United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th c ...
but some spectators gave greater estimates into the hundreds of thousands.
References
External links
*
AMPAC official site
2 Million Bikers to D.C.
Million American March Against Fear on 9/11/13
Official Blog of Million American March Against Fear
{{911ct
Islam in Washington, D.C.
2013 protests
Protest marches in Washington, D.C.
9/11 conspiracy theorists
2013 in Washington, D.C.