At sundown on Sunday, as protesters remained gathered at Detroit Metro Airport to demonstrate against Donald Trump’s block of citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the U.S., demonstrators joined together to help the Muslims among them participate in their sunset prayer.
Because the ground outside the airport was cold and wet, allies loaned their protest signs as prayer mats, then formed a protective—and silent—circle around the observant Muslims.
“Someone came around at 6 p.m. and said, ‘Hey look, it’s time for their prayer, so we’re going to make a circle around them so they can do that with love and protection,’” Sterling Heights resident Jeena Patel told MLIVE. “People put down their signs, knowing that the people who would be praying would have to kneel — so they wouldn’t have to do it on the wet concrete. Everyone just quieted down. It was a really moving moment.”
As 31-year-old man a Dabaja told Vocativ, “It was a beautiful thing. You have a stronger hope for humanity. With all of the evil and wrong that we see in the world, there are people who are willing to stand there even with something as simple and symbolic as prayer.”
A strong reminder that just because the current administration wants to disregard the First Amendment, doesn’t mean we have to.