NEW YORK CITY — On a day when the Muslim world observed Eid al-Adha — the sacred feast of sacrifice commemorating the covenant of Prophet Ibrahim — a small but determined delegation of Muslim Americans did something no Muslim group had ever done before: they marched, banner raised, down Fifth Avenue in New York City’s annual Israel Day Parade.

Leading the delegation was Dr. Anila Ali, President of AmWec and a nationally recognized voice for moderate Muslim-American identity. Joined by five other Muslim organizations — including the Muslims-Israel Dialogue coalition and Imam Musa Drameh’s organization — the marchers carried a message of peace, solidarity, and defiance against the politics of hatred that have increasingly gripped New York’s streets.

The full story of how this historic moment unfolded — including the threats they faced, the tears they inspired, and the grandmother who told Dr. Ali “you brought hope” — is told in a moving interview on Breaking Barriers with host Aaliya Shah. Watch the full conversation below.

A March Born of Conscience — and Courage

Dr. Ali has been outspoken for years about the freedoms that American Muslims enjoy — freedoms unavailable in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, or Saudi Arabia. But in recent months, watching extremists intimidate Jewish schoolchildren, spit on synagogues, and threaten Muslim women who dared speak out for peace, she reached a breaking point.

The catalyst was New York City’s political climate. When mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani announced he would not march in the Israel Day Parade, Dr. Ali drew a stark parallel: “Tomorrow some mayor might come and say, ‘I won’t march at the Pakistan Day Parade.'” She decided that Muslim Americans needed to be represented — not by those who traffic in division, but by those who affirm that American pluralism must be defended by all communities, for all communities.

Threats, Intimidation — and an NYPD That Stood Strong

The march was not without risk. Dr. Ali described a tense atmosphere of threats and harassment directed at those who chose to participate. Extremists targeted the delegation openly. Yet the march proceeded — protected by the NYPD and bolstered by the moral courage of the participants themselves.

Dr. Ali spoke candidly about a pattern of escalating hostility in New York: antisemitic thugs spitting on Jewish children outside day schools, threatening elderly Jews trying to reach synagogues, and a broader climate in which moderate Muslim voices have been pressured into silence. Her response was to walk directly into that storm — on Eid al-Adha, no less — and emerge the other side, flag in hand.

The Moment That Moved a City

When the Muslim delegation unfurled their banner and marched past the 100,000 spectators lining Fifth Avenue, the crowd did a double-take. Then it erupted.

Dr. Ali described the moment with emotion: onlookers sending love, children waving, grandmothers weeping. She stepped out from behind the banner and addressed the crowd personally: “I love you, New Yorkers. I am a proud Muslim, and I love you. And I believe Israel has the right to exist — just like any other country. That’s my Islam.”

One senior citizen approached her afterward. “I don’t know how many more years I’ll be coming to this parade,” the woman told her. “Your delegation brought us hope.” It was, Dr. Ali said, a moment of humility — not triumph. A reminder that these acts of bridge-building carry weight far beyond politics.

Interfaith Solidarity in Action: The Story of Mark Appel

One of the most moving vignettes Dr. Ali shared was that of Mark Appel — a Jewish American who has devoted his life to supporting Pakistani refugees in New York, providing them housing and refuge in his own buildings. On Israel Day, Appel brought his Pakistani caregiver — a man in a wheelchair — to march alongside the Muslim delegation.

“He’s Jewish. His homeland is Israel. It was Israel Day,” Dr. Ali recounted. “And he brought his Pakistani caregiver and said, ‘I’ll bring him too.’ That is the New York I know.”

She reflected on countless stories she had heard of Jewish employers giving Pakistanis and Bangladeshis jobs, shelter, and opportunities — and called it unconscionable that extremist voices would seek to turn these communities against each other in the name of a geopolitical conflict thousands of miles away.

Video Highlights: Breaking Barriers with Aaliya Shah

Key Insights: Why This Moment Matters

A Message for the Nation

Dr. Ali’s march on Eid al-Adha was not merely symbolic. It was a rebuke of those who have sought to make Muslim identity synonymous with antisemitism, anti-Americanism, and geopolitical rage. It was an assertion — made in shalwar kameez, on Fifth Avenue, flanked by Bangladeshis and Guyanese and Latinos and Christians — that the truest expression of Islam in America is one of love, solidarity, and courage.

Faith & Freedom News stands with Dr. Anila Ali, with AmWec, and with every Muslim American who refuses to let hatred define their faith. Watch the full interview on Breaking Barriers with Aaliya Shah — and share it widely.