Iowa City residents write letters to show solidarity with Muslims

IOWA CITY — Politics took the form of personal notes Saturday in Iowa City, where dozens gathered to write letters and cards to show solidarity with Muslim-Americans, as well as other marginalized groups in the community.

The Iowa City Public Library hosted two events: one with participants writing cards to show support for Muslims, and the other for letters to be mailed calling for sanctuary city status from Iowa City and Johnson County officials.

Both events are what organizers say is necessary following the election of Donald Trump as president.

'He has a way of talking off the cuff. I think some people feel emboldened by that,' said Rebecca Truszkowski, a 50-year-old Coralville resident and participant in Saturday's event. 'I think it's really important that we show people that we're not going to stand for this hatred.'

Several University of Iowa students organized the sanctuary city letter mailing event, that gave participants two pre-written letters from which to choose, said Carol McCarthy, 22, a recent UI graduate and one of the organizers for Saturday's event.

The first offers support for Iowa City's status as a sanctuary city for undocumented immigrants. McCarthy said the second letter calls on Iowa City government to make the city a sanctuary city for other marginalized groups, like members of the LGBTQ community, Muslims and African Americans.

'Essentially everybody Trump has targeted, minus white men,' McCarty said.

A sanctuary city is the name given to U.S. cities with certain procedures that shelter illegal immigrants, according to the Ohio Jobs and Justice PAC. The recent election has rekindled Johnson County officials' conversations on officially declaring sanctuary status.

The letters — after being signed by event participants — were to be sent to the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, Iowa City Council members and the Iowa City Police Department, organizers said.

The effort was spurred by McCarthy in partnership with four other University of Iowa students, who were inspired by the postcard blitz in the Dakota Access Pipeline protest.

'We all had this concern, this desire, to keep Iowa City a sanctuary city,' McCarthy said.

Merit Bickner, 26, of Iowa City, led the other campaign, focused on writing letters to members of the Muslim community.

'We just wanted to react to all of the fear and violence and all of the violent, negative sentiments people have that have been perpetuating after the election,' said Bickner, who heads the not-for-profit organization Girls Rock! Iowa City. 'We just wanted to show as a community, we're here to support our neighbors and just let people know we're going to stand against that.'

The group also wrote letters to Gov. Terry Branstad, who stated last year he would not allow Syrian refugees to settle in the state, Bickner said.

Bickner said the letters are to be sent to the Iowa City Mosque, the Mother Mosque in Cedar Rapids and to the Muslim Students Association at the University of Iowa.

'I think the cards make a big difference,' Truszkowski said. 'That there are people sticking up for you and care about you and want you to feel welcome.'

The event comes nearly a month after a Muslim family had a hateful note taped to the door of their Iowa City home.

'That was a classmate of my daughter's, and she was really shaken by that. That's awful,' Truszkowski said. 'So, I think we need to step up and we can't just sit back and not be involved.'

McCarthy said while protests are extremely important, the sanctuary city movement is going to take different forms of action — such as writing letters to government officials — to encourage change.

Overall, participants hoped Saturday's event would show to marginalized groups in Iowa City that they have a support system in the community.

'I hope people at least take to heart that we really care,' said Jeanne Somsky, a 68-year-old Iowa City resident who participated in Saturday's gathering.

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