woman in Fremont. Wearing a traditional hijab
headscarf, she was walking with her 3-year old to pick
up other children at school when a man shot her at
point blank range and then drove off. Police are
investigating whether this was a hate crime. The
woman, Alia Ansari, was the mother of six children
ranging from 3 - 13 years old.
This may or may not have been a hate crime in our
backyard, but it definitely opens the door for us to
stand together as a neighboring community that says no
to hate.
On Monday, November 13 the Fremont Muslim community has organized a day of solidarity throughout Fremont where men and women
will observe a moment of silence and many will wear a hijab
or turban or something relevant to Muslim observance.
While putting on a turban or hijab might be difficult
for many of us, a number of folks in Palo Alto are going
to fashion our own message of solidarity by just being with a few
friends or co-workers and observing the moment of
silence at noon (even connected by phone). Some will
pin a card to our shirt with Alia's name, or wear an
armband with her name.
An email of support could be sent to:
Melanie Gadener, Executive Director,
at the:
Foundation For Self-Reliance (FSR)
P.O. Box 604
Fremont, CA 94537
Sincerely,
Elliot Margolies
