May 20, 2005, the same day officers from around the world arrived in the
Nation's Capitol to honor enforcement fallen in the line of duty defending
local horizons and porous borders, the Free Muslims Coalition, FMC, an
American Muslim organization with 13 chapters, held a rally at Freedom
PLaza in DC. In contrast to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Week
which was minimally attended by media, the FMC rally had more media
present than attendees. The promised buses of supporters did not show.
But, forward looking coordinator Kamal Nawash says "the rally was a
success because of the quality of the speakers and because our message was
carried across the world. Not only was the event covered by major
American media outlets but also by Al-Jazeerah and Al-Arabia, the two
largest media outlets in the Arab and Muslim world." Kamal, pictured in
hat, said "That is fine with us as long as our message of tolerance,
non-violence, separation of religion and politics, equality for women and
democracy is heard." Nawash is committed to taking back his religion "one
Muslim at a time." Two Imams spoke at the event, one, formerly in the
military the second credited the Koran's reference to the value of a
single life taken as having come from the Torah.