Yesterday a group of armed and masked protestors gathered outside of a mosque in Irving, Texas to protest what they believe is the growing threat of Islam. Protest organizer David Wright says he called the group together following the attacks in Paris and the United States' decision to allow Syrian refugees into the country.
Holding up signs like "Stop the Islamization of America" and "Syrians Welcome Bigots Be Gone" (which kind of makes no sense), the gatherers represent the wave of Islamophobia in this country that has only worsened since the Paris attacks.
The protestors also claim to have gotten together after a rumor spread earlier this month that stated the mosque was operating under Sharia law—which has since proven to be untrue. Sharia law is the legal framework of Islam as mandated by the Quran.
In terms of why they were carrying guns, Wright told the Dallas Morning News, "They're mostly for self-defense or protection. But I'm not going to lie. We do want to show force...It would be ridiculous to protest Islam without defending ourselves."
