We reported in May on Islamophobin, the satirical drug advertised by the Council on Islamic-American Relations (CAIR) as a cure for Islamophobic feelings. CAIR leaders distributed the "drug"—which is actually gum—yesterday (July 18), on the first day of the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Cleveland.
"Islamophobin" being handed out at Stop Trump rally in downtown Cleveland. pic.twitter.com/Dq568K3GCL
— Jason Noble (@jasonnobleDMR) July 18, 2016
A guy who jokingly claims to work in pharmaceuticals is hanging out "Islamophobin." #RNCinCLE pic.twitter.com/TKmM1lT7Ow
— Seth Millstein (@SethMillstein) July 18, 2016
"There’s no winner when hate dominates the conversation and there is less room for dialogue and respect for one another," Nihad Awad, CAIR’s national executive director, told NBC News. The group also held a press conference, during which Awad criticized current and former Republican presidential candidates, saying that they "pandered to these inner-core Islamophobic leaders and their supporters with proposals like patrolling so-called Muslim neighborhoods, surveilling and shutting down mosques, and openly questioning whether a Muslim can serve as president."
Reuters reported about a simultaneous action in Cleveland by Rose Hamid, a Muslim woman previously ejected from a Trump rally. Her speech about religious coexistence was drowned out by a group of counterprotesters, including one carrying a sign that read, "Muhammad is a liar, false-prophet, child-raping pervert." Those protesters, who did not secure a permit, were eventually escorted away by police.