A popular Washington-area Imam’s decision to issue the Muslim call to prayer at Trump’s inaugural prayer service on Saturday has sparked a heated debate among American Muslim community leaders and activists over the appropriate ways to engage with a President-elect who they say has repeatedly disparaged Islam.
Mohamed Magid, a Sudanese-American imam known for his interfaith work and presiding over the roughly 25,000 attendees of the All-Dulles Area Muslim Society, a network of 11 mosques in Northern Virginia, is the only Muslim leader listed on a line-up packed with Evangelicals and other Christian and Jewish faith leaders who are scheduled to participate in Saturday’s National Prayer Service at the National Cathedral.
As word of Magid’s participation spread Thursday night, Muslim community leaders and activists weighed in on social media.
Trump has repeatedly cast suspicion on the loyalties of American Muslims, and has variously called for a ban on new Muslim immigrants, screening new visa applicants for their moral values, and deeper scrutiny of Muslims within the United States. Muslim community leaders across the country have consistently blamed Trump for what they say is an ongoing spike in anti-Muslim violence and harassment.
Sajid Tarar, another American Muslim who offered a brief prayer at the Republican National Convention but has no known following or religious credentials, is also on the list of participating faith leaders at the National Prayer Service. But Magid is the only imam.
In a statement on his Facebook page Friday morning, Magid defended his decision. He said it was necessary to do so in an outreach effort of correcting misconceptions about Islam.
“It is the role of religious leaders to share the truth and the values of Islam to everyone including those in power, to advocate for the good, and to address those who misunderstand and have misconceptions about the beautiful message of Islam,” he said.
He cited a verse from the Koran: “Repel [wrong] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend” and later in the statement noted “The Qur’an commands us to speak good to people even if they speak ill towards you.”
He also reminded American Muslims that Islam’s prophet, Muhammad, “never stopped talking to the Meccans”—even during the 10th century conflict between his earliest followers and the residents of the now holy city.
Magid said leaders must take advantage of available platforms to share the community’s values, and implied that his action goes “hand in hand” with public expressions of dissent by the Muslim community toward the new administration.
“Public protests and meetings with public officials are both needed to share the truth through different avenues,” he said.
Some area Muslims said they supported that view, and were glad that Magid was participating.
“I think a lot of people are torn,” said Jonathan Brown, an associate professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and the Director of its Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim Christian Understanding. “It’s not just a Muslim problem,” he added; Magid’s is a question that minority groups across the country are now grappling with.
On the one hand, there is the argument that “it’s not the person that’s important, it’s the democratic process; [that] the occupant [of the presidency] is not as important as the strength of the institution,” he said. “But at the same time, it’s very clear to probably more than half the country that this soon-to-be president’s campaign was not normal, and it was run by appealing to the worst part of people’s characters and fears and hatreds, by drumming up bigotries and tensions in society.”
“A number of prominent Muslim leaders have been very active in organizing protests around the Inauguration, and so those people are pretty annoyed and disappointed that other Muslims are going to look like they’re legitimating Trumps message instead of taking a stance against it,” Brown said.
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21:18
Trump`s speech sounds just like a campaign speech
“Jan. 20, 2017, will be remembered as the day that the people became the rulers of this nation again,” President Donald Trump declared during the beginning of his inaugural address. The line echoed his signature “Make America Great Again” campaign theme.
In fact, much of of the early part of Trump’s speech echoed the messages he underscored in his campaign — for example, that Washington has left regular citizens behind, and politicians have prospered at their expense.
As Trump discussed the past, the tone and themes were dark — much like the rhetoric he used on the campaign trail.
“What truly matters is not which party controls our government but whether our government is controlled by our people,” said Trump.
Also echoing his campaign rhetoric, he argued that his administration will usher in a new era.
“We’ve defended other nation’s borders while refusing to defend our own, and spent trillions of dollars overseas while America’s infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay,” he said.
“From this day forward, it’s going to be only America first,” he said. “America will start winning again. Winning like never before,” he said.
“We will bring back our jobs, we will bring back our borders, we will bring back our wealth, and we will bring back our dreams.”
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21:09
Protesters removed during Trump’s oath
Six protesters who found their way into the inauguration and very close to the stage stood up, raised their fists and began shouting “We the people” as Donald Trump took the oath of office. Their shirts, together spelled “R-E-S-I-S-T.”
They were removed from the crowd by authorities, shouting “USA! USA!” as they were led away.
As she was led away, a female protester said, “We’re for an America for all of us.”
Some in crowd sang, “Na na na na, say hey, good bye.”
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21:14
Trump promises to transfer power from Washington to ‘you, the people’
President Trump began his inaugural address by saying that the citizens of America are joining “a great national effort to rebuild our country and restore its promise for all of our people.”
He thanked President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their “gracious aid” during the transition. “They have been magnificent,” Trump said.
Then he quickly turned to criticizing the Washington “establishment,” saying that the inauguration is not really about a transfer of power from one administration to another — or one party to another — but from the nation’s capital “back to you, the people.”
Donald J. Trump sworn in as 45th president
Chief Justice John Roberts has sworn in Donald J. Trump as the 45th president of the United States.
Here is the oath Trump took:
“I, Donald John Trump, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. So help me God.”
20:55
Mike Pence Inaugurated as Vice President at the Ceremony
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has sworn in Mike Pence as vice president.
Here is the oath Pence took:
“I, Michael Richard Pence do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”
20:30
Inauguration ceremony begins
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20:25
Trumps And Obamas Arrive At The Capitol
President-elect Trump and President Obama have arrived at the Capitol. According to the White House pool reporter, the drive down Pennsylvania Avenue included some saluting members of the military and fairly thin crowds. Protesters were visible along the route, too, with signs such as “love Trumps hate.”
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20:22
Scenes From The National Mall
Crowds on the Mall alternate between loud cheers as the Trumps enter and loud boos when the screens show Hillary Clinton.
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20:20
The singer of the national anthem at Trump’s inauguration is Jackie Evancho. The 16-year-old was the runner-up on 2010’s America’s Got Talent. After it was announced she was performing, she faced some backlash for performing and also because her sister, Juliet, is transgender.
“That I’m, like, a washout, and that, like, my career was over, and I’m a one-hit wonder and stuff like that,” she told CBS Sunday Morning. “It’s cool! And they make fun of me for my sister. And she gets enough of that, too. So I’d rather them make fun of me than them make fun of her.”
Juliet, who was born Jacob, and Jackie both support LGBT rights, but they say politics isn’t what this day is about.
“The way I look at it is, Jackie is singing for our country,” Juliet told CBS, “and it’s an honor for her to be singing in front of so many people. So I feel like that’s really where I look at it. And that’s where I’m going to leave it right now.”
Juliet will not be attending, as the New York Times reported:
“Whether Juliet was even invited to the inauguration is unclear. The girls’ father, Mike Evancho, said he did not yet know if the whole family, including both parents and Jackie’s three siblings, had received tickets. Boris Epshteyn, a spokesman for the Trump inaugural committee, did not respond when asked if the entire family had been invited.”
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19:58
Hillary Clinton had to be imagining this day would be different. Nonetheless, the former Democratic nominee for president is indeed at her former opponent’s inauguration along with her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
As a former first lady, it’s to be expected for her to attend along with the former president. But there were questions whether the Clintons would come, given the acrimonious race and the continued questions about alleged Russian cyberattacks intended to influence the election. Clinton won the popular vote by almost 3 million votes, but Trump won the electoral vote and, in turn, the presidency.
Plus, President-elect Trump hasn’t shied away from recounting and relishing his victory over Clinton. There are also still some open questions about whether he would pursue charges against Clinton for her private email server while at the State Department, though Trump has backed off his supporters’ rally cry to “lock her up,” admitting it was just a campaign tactic.
According to NPR’s Jennifer Ludden, who is on the national mall, the crowd there booed when the jumbotron owed a close-up shot of Clinton.
Clinton, however, tweeted this morning that she’s attending Trump’s inauguration “to honor our democracy” and the peaceful transfer of power:
Clinton isn’t the first presidential loser to have to watch her winning opponent take the oath of office. In 2001, Vice President Al Gore watched George W. Bush be sworn in, just a month after recounts concluded their election. In 2009, Arizona Sen. John McCain also watched President Obama be sworn in.
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19:52
Protesters, Police In Standoff In Downtown D.C.
Reporter Patrick Madden of WAMU is reporting on clashes in D.C.:
From 12th and L streets NW, Madden reports that several hundred protesters dressed in black were running through streets, breaking windows with hammers and knocking over trash cans. Police have chased them on motorcycles. Some officers are in riot gear, and National Guard officers are also on scene. Protesters broke the police line and the officers are using pepper spray to subdue the demonstration. Police are also using an unidentified concussive device to break up the protest. Madden also recently reported on air that the police appeared to be getting a handle on the situation.
Here’s a video of the scene from Tim Pool, who describes himself as an independent video journalist:
From 12th and L streets NW, Madden reports that several hundred protesters dressed in black were running through streets, breaking windows with hammers and knocking over trash cans. Police have chased them on motorcycles. Some officers are in riot gear, and National Guard officers are also on scene. Protesters broke the police line and the officers are using pepper spray to subdue the demonstration. Police are also using an unidentified concussive device to break up the protest. Madden also recently reported on air that the police appeared to be getting a handle on the situation.
Here’s a video of the scene from Tim Pool, who describes himself as an independent video journalist:
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19:45
ACLU Announces Legal Action On Trump Conflicts Of Interest
The American Civil Liberties Union has announced a plan to fight the Trump administration, starting with litigation on Thursday designed to get government offices to hand over materials regarding possible conflicts of interest. From the organization’s press release:
“The first legal action, filed yesterday, is a Freedom of Information Act request asking several government agencies to turn over all documents relating to President Trump’s actual or potential conflicts of interest to his business and family connections. The request seeks legal opinions, memoranda, advisories, and communications from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, the Office of Government Ethics, the General Services Administration, and the office of Personnel Management from November 9, 2016, to January 20, 2017. The request includes email and all other communication to and from the presidential transition team.”
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19:42
Trump Family, President Bush, Other Dignitaries Arrive At The Capitol
President-elect Trump’s children have arrived at the Capitol for his swearing-in, including Donald Jr. and his wife, Vanessa; Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, who will be a senior adviser in the White House to his father-in-law; Eric Trump and his wife, Lara; daughter Tiffany Trump; and 10-year-old son, Barron.
Former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, also arrived at the Capitol. He told CNN that his father, former President George H.W. Bush, and mother, Barbara, were feeling much better. Both have been in the hospital — the 92-year-old former president in the ICU in Houston with pneumonia and the former first lady with respiratory problems.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynne, are also in attendance, as is former Vice President Dan Quayle.
Several other former Senate leaders and House speakers have also arrived on the inaugural dais, including former Speaker John Boehner, former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (who was also the 1996 GOP nominee for president), former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, and others. Former Speaker Newt Gingrich, who was an outspoken Trump supporter and was a finalist to be his vice president, has also arrived, along with his wife, Callista.
