NEW YORK, NY – Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon spoke to Muslim New Yorkers celebrating Eid al-Adha in Staten Island this morning. She released the following statement to mark the holiday.

“This country was founded on the belief that everyone should have the freedom to celebrate their religion, but with Donald Trump in the White House, many Muslim Americans no longer feel that fundamental American belief truly applies to them. Muslims are harassed on the subway and in stores. Hate crimes are rising.

While many elected officials are quick to condemn Trump’s hateful rhetoric, they are less quick to show up for the Muslim community. I was asked this morning, why I thought Governor Cuomo has not attended a mosque in his 8 years in office, and why many politicians do not mark Muslim holidays with the uniformity with which they publicly celebrate major holidays in Christianity and Judaism. It is long past time that politicians reject the focus groups and consultants who tell them to keep the Muslim community at arms-length.

We can’t just tweet about a holiday, we need to show up for it. Leadership means lifting up and celebrating all the faiths and traditions in our state, and forcefully condemning the rising hate crimes we are seeing against Muslims, Jews and many other communities. If we truly want to oppose the President and his hateful agenda, we have to show solidarity with those he is targeting. Then, America will truly be great.”

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