“Darkness cannot drive out darkness:
only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.

In the wake of the
murderous Orlando shooting, Michiganders embodied the words of the civil rights
icon by coming together in solidarity against terrorism and hate.

Local mosques held prayer
services condemning the attack and honoring the victims. Civil rights and
interfaith activists came to the forefront to preemptively shield the Muslim
community from a possible bigoted response, in the wake of the attack.

Condemning terror and
murder is nothing new for Muslim Americans. After the attack in Orlando, the
way the broader community came together is uplifting.

When imams, priests,
rabbis and LGBTQ activists stand together against intolerance and violence, it
is the best way to answer terrorism.

Those who tried to divide
Americans and rally gays against Muslims were playing into the hands of
terrorists. They failed, at least locally, given the solidarity that was
demonstrated at vigils and prayer services over the past week.

The American people have
witnessed how Muslims mourned the Orlando tragedy, while Donald Trump
shamelessly accepted congratulation after the attack.

The Arab American News
would like to thank local leaders who have been outspoken in defense of the
Muslim community after the attack.

Those are credible voices
who are familiar with Arab and Muslim Americans.

Steve Spreitzer, president
of the Michigan Roundtable, urged fellow Americans to visit local Muslim
centers and reach out to Muslim organizations.

“We are deeply
troubled by the continued hijacking of a great world religion by those who use
Islam for political and economic gain,” he said in a statement last week.
“We know the same has happened to other religions throughout history, but
in this age of instant, global communications, it seems to have become more
disquieting.”

We join him in the call
for building bridges and opening up our respective communities to eliminate
ethnic and ideological divisions and segregation.

This newspaper regularly documents and condemns racism and Islamophobia.
The compassionate reaction to the murders at Pulse nightclub deserve to be
condoned and praised.