A packed McKinney City Council meeting over a proposed mosque already had plenty of tension. Then one speaker walked to the microphone and made the room even more uncomfortable.
During public comment Tuesday, a man pretending to be a Muslim supporter of the project, donned in an obviously fake beard and oversized turban, launched into an intentionally exaggerated speech filled with stereotypes about Islam, Sharia law and Muslims—apparently as satire aimed at the opposition gathered inside City Hall.
“Assalamu alaikum. My name is Mahdt Rostamizadeh Durka Durka Mohammed Hezbollah Nijad Hamas,” the speaker began, before telling council members he supported the mosque because it would supposedly pave the way for a “Sharia board.”
The room erupted almost immediately…