City Launches Advertising Campaign to Combat Islamophobia

NEW YORK, NY — The city has launched a new advertising campaign intended to combat racial discrimination and violence against Muslims.

The city's Community Affairs Unit, Office of Immigrant Affairs and the Commission on Human Rights will undertake a social media campaign aimed at promoting "respect, understanding and support for the city’s diverse Muslim communities."

The city will be sharing new ads on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter with the slogan "I am Muslim, I am NYC."

The ads are just the first step in a campaign launched by the city to try to increase public awareness about the Muslim community. The city will also host community safety forums, develop a workshop in partnership with NYU called "Understanding Islam," host a "Progressive and Inclusive Cities" forum with London Mayor Sadiq Khan and religious leaders, and launch a "city-wide media campaign in late spring 2017" to educate New Yorkers. The city did not say exactly what the media campaign would entail as of yet.

"Now more than ever, it is important for every New Yorker to stand united as one city and reject hate and violence," Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement. "In New York, everyone deserves to be treated with respect. Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu, Agnostic and Atheist — it doesn’t matter. We are all New Yorkers and we all deserve to live safely and free from hatred or discrimination. We will not tolerate discrimination or violence of any kind and we will not rest until all New Yorkers, including our Muslim brothers and sisters, are treated with the dignity they deserve."

The city notes they've increased investigations into discrimination over race, national origin and religion by 60 percent in the last two years. The city also takes a not-so-subtle shot at Republican nominee Donald Trump and the current presidential race saying attacks on Muslims have surged due to "political vitriol."

“To combat xenophobia and Islamophobia, we must come together in solidarity to develop strategies against it,” said Commissioner Nisha Agarwal of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs in a statement. “Our recent convening with Muslim community leaders, immigrant advocates, and refugee rights advocates is leading to the creation of a shared action plan.”

Photo Credit: NYC