Muslims brace for series of anti-Islam protests in Phoenix, around U.S.
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2015/10/09/anti-islam-protests-phoenix-muslims-safety-precautions/73597738/
A series of anti-Islam protests planned in more than two dozen cities, including Phoenix, this weekend has prompted community leaders to urge Muslims to take safety precautions in case the demonstrations turn violent.
It remains unclear how much participation the protests will draw. They are being organized on Facebook under the name "Global Rally for Humanity" and call on supporters to demonstrate outside local mosques on Friday and Saturday.
Still, the protests have raised alarm among community leaders and advocacy groups. While anti-Islam protesters have targeted mosques in the past, such as the demonstration in May that drew several hundred protesters, some armed, to the Islamic Community Center in Phoenix, this is the first time there has been a coordinated effort to target multiple mosques in multiple cities, advocates say.
"Weve never had this many events targeting mosques in this kind of national way," Heidi Beirich, director of the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center, said in a conference call with reporters. "This is widespread in a way that these things have not been before."
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