Muslims Use New Year's Eve In Times Square To Stand Against Extremism

On Thursday afternoon, Salaam Bhatti was near New York’s Times Square, as thousands of Americans who had come from across the world prepared for the iconic New Year’s Eve ball-drop celebration. But Bhatti, a 29-year-old Muslim from Queens who works as an estate planning attorney, wasn’t there just to celebrate the passing of time.

Gathered around Bryant Park, a few blocks from the center of the New Year’s festivities that Mayor Bill de Blasio has said will have “extraordinary” security measures to protect against terrorism, Bhatti had come to Manhattan with dozens of Muslims to share his faith as one of peace.