On Jan. 8 presidential hopeful Donald Trump gave his insights on the Syrian conflict at a rally in Rock Hill, S.C. Within his speech on the refugee crisis, he said “most of the refugees are probably ISIS.”

I watched his remarks and the applause by supporters thinking to myself how much hate and generalizations were being made.

As the Trump rally continued I was impressed by the actions of one woman, Rose Hamid, a 56-year-old flight attendant and her friend Marty Rosenbluth. Hamid stood in silence wearing a turquoise shirt and a hijab protesting Trump’s rally. Her shirt read “Salam I come in peace.”

I noticed the stares right away, the negative body language and the booing from the crowd. What this woman did was incredible. She took a moment to take a literal and metaphorical stand.

Hamid and her friend Rosenbluth wore badges shaped like the Star of David with “Muslim” written across them. Trump’s statements in the previous months have been racist in content. Following such statements that not only carry generalizations, but many are associating the rise of hate and violence toward how Trump asserts himself at his rallies.

One could say that while Trump himself hasn’t been involved in the six recent incidents regarding Muslim Americans and Trump supporters, his words still carry great influence. At the rally many Trump supporters booed and cried out for the removal of Hamid and Rosenbluth.

“This demonstrates how when you start dehumanizing the other it can turn very hateful.” Hamid said.

Her response after being removed from the rally shed light on how generalizations can lead to the dehumanization of an entire culture. The reality is that violence and hate toward the Muslim community has progressed over the last couple months.

While some might condemn the actions of Rose Hamid, I don’t. In the midst of violence, hate only breeds further hate. We need to think about how we can go about bringing reconciliation to the Muslim community that is being preyed upon by the Trump and his supporters.

Islamopobia is as strong now as it was post 9/11. I challenge you be like Hamid and think about what making a stand looks like. Change is possible only if we allow it be.

Amina Chinnell is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. She can be reached at [email protected]