Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Delivers Remarks at Islamic Society of Mid-Manhattan

November 11, 2016

Mayor de Blasio: Assalamu alaikum.

Audience: Wa’alaikum salam.

Mayor: Such an honor to be with you this evening in this beautiful, beautiful house of worship – this mosque that means so much to the community. I want to thank this good man, thank him for his leadership. Sheikh Ahmed Dewidar, thank you for being a man who guides people both spiritually and humanly as a community leader. We talked about – a few moments ago – we talked about what any of religious leader has to do for a community including consoling members of a congregation, helping them through all of the challenges of life. And you said something wonderful, which I would love to share. In the immediate surrounding streets there is a Christian church and there’s a Jewish synagogue, and clergy from all three talk and when there’s a particularly difficult situation in a family sometimes they’ll send that family to one of the other houses of worship to seek guidance and support. So, the synagogue or the church will send someone here to the mosque to seek support because Imam has such a way of helping people. What an example to all of us of the fact that we have a profound common reality as human beings, profound commonality as New Yorkers. No matter what the environment around us may suggest, in truth, what we have in common is so much deeper than any superficial differences, and that’s what we have to assert in all times but particularly in times when people feel pain or feel a threat. We have to help people remember that common thread. I want to thank all of you for the chance to be with you. I also want to acknowledge and thank two senior members of my administration who are here with us tonight – Sarah Sayeed who has done such extraordinary work with the community.

[Applause]

And Sherif Soloman, who represents the City of New York at Albany, our state capital, and does wonderful work on behalf of the City as well. 

[Applause]

I had the honor, Sheikh, to be with you, with so many, at the Ramadan dinner at Grace Mansion, and it was a moment when we celebrated together and prayed together, and we recognized that this great community is welcome in the people’s house in Gracie Mansion, is welcome in City Hall like all the communities of this city. We recognize that there are so many members of the Muslim community who serve this city and make it better in so many ways. And everywhere I go, including when I travel this country, I tell people how important it is to remember the 900 members of the Muslim Society of the NYPD who protect us all.

[Applause]

We gather tonight in a time of uncertainty. We gather in a moment when many, many people in the Muslim community and other communities are feeling pain and fear. We have to acknowledge that. We have to address it. I came here because I wanted to be a voice of support, and I wanted all members of the community to know that the values of New York City are strong and clear. I spoke on Wednesday to the whole city, and I said that what makes New York great – and has for generations – that doesn’t change because of the results of a single election, whether that’s here in the city or even nationally. Our true values, our true character remains the same. We are a city for all. We are a city built on the strength of generation after generation of immigrants. There is – I would say – no city in the world that is more identified with immigrants, with the strength of those who sought a different life – many who fled persecution or economic challenges, who sought something different and better. Generations upon generation built this city up. 

And what’s so striking is that never in our almost 400 years of modern history as a city, never have we been a monolith. We’ve never been homogenous. We’ve always been diverse. We’ve always been a city made up of people from all over the world. Our great success has been because of it – not despite it. Something about the character of New York City has always allowed for a welcome for every kind of person. And if you hear one immigrant story – you hear the story of an immigrant today from say Pakistan or Bangladesh it could sound very similar to someone who has ancestors from Ireland or Italy or Africa or the Caribbean, Latin America – the commonality is there. It’s clear. And sometimes we hear voices that try to create separation and division, but we have to be the voices of unity. We have to remind people of a history much greater than any one of us that shows that common thread runs through this city of immigrants and has made us strong. 

Now, all that I believe, and I think it’s a reason to be hopeful – I think it’s a reason to remain confident in each other as New Yorkers, but none of that is to minimize the pain and the shock that we all experienced in this last year seeing a level of divisive rhetoric and hateful speech that was unprecedented in the context of our national conversations. And I have said very openly, I am deeply troubled, and I think there are millions of New Yorkers who are deeply troubled by the results of our national election. So, we have to honest. We have to acknowledge the pain and the fear, but at the same time we have to resolve to be at peace with our own values, confident that our values win the day. We have a right – all of us – to be worried and at the same time we have to keep an open mind and open heart and an open hand. We have to work through this moment. I’ve said very publicly that I will do everything in my power to work with the new President–elect and the new government in Washington to seek positive outcomes for the City, but I’ve also said that when actions are taken against the interest of New York City and its people I will stand up – we all need to stand up – and seek fairness. Especially in this city that is the greatest in this whole country and that is a beacon to the world. 

There’s a passage in the Quran which reminds us the standard we need to live by says: to not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. We will continue to be just in this city. We will continue to be a model for unity and understanding. We will continue to defend the deepest American rights of a country formed on religious tolerance and diversity. Somehow that gets lost in much of our national discussion, but in fact this is a country so unique because it was founded by people who thought about the fact there would be so many faiths represented here, and they all have to be respected. 

So, we will stand up in this city. We will stand up for our Muslim brothers and sisters. We will stand up for immigrants. We will protect people as we always have. We will protect New Yorkers. And I will continue to tell the story here and all over this country of the extraordinary contributions this Muslim community makes every single day in this city. If we believe we are a great city – and in fact we are – then we have to acknowledge that one of the pillars of our greatness is the Muslim community. Let’s even in a moment of challenge embrace our role as America’s greatest city. Let’s be resolute to keep our values front and center. Let’s protect the values we cherish, the city we cherish, and all the people of the city – all of whom we cherish.

Assalamu alaikum.