Story highlights
A prominent Muslim supporter of Donald Trump spoke at the Republican National Convention
Sajid Tarar said he's felt pressure from his own community not to do so
The Muslim-American Trump supporter who delivered the closing benediction at the Republican National Convention Tuesday night said he did not hear a delegate shout “No Islam!” after he took the stage.
Sajid Tarar, a member of Trump’s national diversity coalition who founded the group American Muslims for Trump, said he accepted an invitation to speak at the convention “to stand up and tell Americans that all of us we are not bad people” and said his message was largely well received by GOP convention attendees.
The New York Times reported that a delegate on the convention floor shouted, “No Islam!” as Tarar took the stage Tuesday night.
“Of course there will be some percentage of people of those who will be always upset. But I’m here today, I’m a proud American and I love this country more than my life,” Tarar said Tuesday night in an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.
Tarar, a Pakistani-American, said he has faced charges of being a “traitor” to the Muslim community and that sharing his message of support for Trump has been “an uphill battle.”
Trump’s Muslim backers celebrate his success
But Tarar said he is trying to “tell American Muslims to be loyal to America” and said he wants to teach young American Muslims “how to love America.”
Tarar has said Trump’s proposed ban on all foreign Muslims into the U.S. would not be feasible, but said Tuesday night he believes Trump’s latest iteration of that policy – banning individuals from still undefined terror states – will help keep Americans safe.
“He has identified that radical Islam is a threat,” Tarar said of Trump. “We have to think about American safety first.”