AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The publication of a post on the social media platform Truth Social by Donald Trump, the U.S. President, featuring images of a kindergarten graduation ceremony at a school in St. Paul, Minnesota, was met with strong reactions from Muslim and civil activists in the country.
Trump reposted a 14-second video of the ceremony, in which a number of young girls wearing hijabs were visible. The caption accompanying the video sarcastically read, "All the girls in kindergarten are wearing hijabs." This action quickly drew criticism from Muslim advocacy groups.
"The Highest Level of Government Is Attacking Children"
In response to this action, religious and community leaders of the Muslim community, particularly members of the Somali-American community, gathered at the Karmel Mall in Minneapolis to condemn what they called the "public targeting of Muslim children."
Yusuf Abdullah, Executive Director of the Islamic Society of North America, said at the gathering, "The highest level of our government is attacking children; imagine that." Muslim activists emphasized that this incident is part of an ongoing pattern of hate-mongering against Muslims and is not an isolated event.
Malika Zaheer, Executive Director of the Sisterhood Revival Organization, also stated, "We are not here because just one incident happened; we are facing a pattern. A few months ago, we were standing here after a school bus was set on fire. This trend should concern all of us."
Warning About Endangering Children's Lives
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and its Minnesota chapter announced that the publication of these images by the U.S. President has endangered the students and their school.
The organization's statement read, "By using his global platform to promote anti-Islamic bigotry and target Muslim children at this elementary school, President Trump is endangering lives." The statement also warned that legitimizing hate-mongering by a political official gives extremists a green light to target minorities.
Meanwhile, Abdulsalam Adam, the principal of East African Elementary School in St. Paul, warned against linking Somali identity with crime and said, "Equating the entire Somali community and attributing all problems to Somalis is a major problem that must be resisted."
Famous American Children's Entertainer Supports Hijabi Children
As the wave of criticism against Trump's post continued, Rachel Accurso, known as "Ms. Rachel," a children's educational content creator and producer with over 20 million YouTube subscribers, expressed support for the Muslim students in a message.
Addressing the children, she wrote, "I saw some of you wearing hijabs for your graduation ceremony. I'm glad you wore something that has meaning and value to you and your family. I think hijabs are beautiful."
Ms. Rachel also emphasized that children of any religious or cultural background belong in the community, adding, "It doesn't matter what we wear; we all belong here. People may try to separate us and pit us against each other, but we know we must treat every human being with kindness and respect."
History of Controversial Statements Against the Somali Community
These developments come as Trump has repeatedly made controversial statements about immigrants, particularly the Somali-American community, in recent months. According to American media reports, he has previously described Somalis as "trash" and claimed they "have no share in society."
Critics say that publishing images of Muslim children alongside such positions has heightened concerns about rising Islamophobia and the targeting of Muslims and immigrants in America; concerns now also being raised by religious leaders, civil rights organizations, and prominent American social figures.
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