The American Muslim Day Parade 2018, and an ensuing festival, is set for Midtown, Manhattan this weekend.
This year marks the 33rd Muslim Day Parade, an event that started in 1985 with the goal of providing American Muslims “a platform to be united and be part of the political process of this country so that our voice could be heard in the main political arena of USA.”
The event also offers American Muslims the opportunity to register to vote, understand their civic duties and engage with other communities, the organization says.
According to the Public Religion Research Institute, 3 percent of the New York City population is Muslim, which is about 255,000 people. The first Muslims in New York City date back to the 17th century, and the five boroughs are home to more than 280 mosques.
The Muslim Day Parade is meant to help establish this population’s place in New York. On the parade’s website, the organizers note that New York City is home to hundreds of different languages and cultures, and most major communities — Irish, Italian, Puerto Rican and so on — have their own parades.
“This is a city of parades,” Imam Ali, the president of the Muslim Foundation of America, previously told the New York Times. “We felt we must express ourselves as an integral part of the city. Parade is part of the New York identity.”
But the parade is also about bringing different communities together. The 2018 Muslim Day Parade theme is “Mercy for all.”
The importance of the American Muslim Day Parade for its attendees has changed at different political points in our country’s history. The parade was canceled in 2001 after the 9/11 terror attacks, per the Times, and attendance was sparse in 2002 among heightened Islamophobia. But last year, amid outrage at President Donald Trump’s travel ban on those from Muslim countries and the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, the event turned into a show of solidarity for multiple marginalized groups.
When is the 2018 American Muslim Muslim Day Parade?
The Muslim Day Parade is scheduled for Sunday, September 23. The parade starts at 12 p.m. and the whole event will last until 4 p.m.
Muslim Day Parade Route, Street Closures
The Muslim Day Parade 2018 kicks off from 38th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan. The parade goes down Madison Ave. to 27th Street, and then the 2018 American Muslim Day festival will be set up at Madison Ave. between 27th Street and 26th Street.
Here’s the Muslim Day Parade street closures, courtesy of the Department of Transportation:
Formation
37th Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue
Madison Avenue between 37th Street and 38th Street
Route
Madison Avenue between 37th Street and 27th Street
Dispersal
Madison Avenue between 37th Street and 27th Street
27th Street between Madison Avenue and Park Avenue
Festival
Madison Avenue between 27th Street and 26th Street
Miscellaneous
23rd Street between Madison Avenue and Park Avenue (VIP Parking)
24th Street between Madison Avenue and Park Avenue (VIP Parking)
