More than 3000 Muslims rally in front of the Indian consulate in New York to protest the attack on Prophet Muhammad.

New York: The Muslims living in and around the most important city of the United States responded in large numbers, at a very short notice, to the call for a protest rally against the persecution of Muslims in India and the repeated insults to the Prophet Muhammad and the Islamic holy places in Arabia by Hindutva leaders and the Indian government officials

New York City has the largest population of Muslims in the US who are also politically influential

The Alliance to Save and Protect America from Infiltration by Religious EExtremists ( ASPAIRE.org) had given the call for protest rallies in the various cities of US and Canada, especially those where Indian embassies and consulates are located.

Dr Shaik Ubaid ,the President of ASPAIRE , stated that the demonization of the Muslims has escalated alarmingly with the BJP leaders, specially the chief ministers of various states competing with one another in issuing statements that dehumanize and demonize Muslims. “Every Hindu festival is being used to not only provoke Muslims with insulting slogans and attacks on mosques but when the Muslims defend their homes they are arrested and their houses are bulldozed. “ He pointed out to the videos of the police firing on Muslms during the attacks by Hindutva mobs. “ it is clear that the BJP and RSS want the Muslims to react so that they can keep the country polarized. This will not only cause a great harm to the social fabric of India but will also hurt India’s international image and economy, and drive away investment. It is about time that the Hindu community carry out its responsibility of defending the religion and the nation from the Hindu supremacists of the RSS and its fronts,” Dr Ubaid said

Habeeb Ahmed a prominent Muslim leader from New York said,

“More than 3000 Muslims of so many different ethnic backgrounds have rallied at such a short notice on a weekday in the busy city of New York. We hope that the Indian Consul General will communicate this fact to the Indian government. Tomorrow a rally will be held in Houston and similar rallies are being planned all over the US.”