More than 85 people turned out at the rally Friday afternoon in Sacramento in response to the terrorist attacks in Paris.
"We all should be and we our united in this fight against terrorism, there's no other option,” Durriya Syed told the crowd at the state capitol.
Suzana Malik of Sacramento said she was there to show her support for the victims.
"This is not what Islam is about,” said Malik. “It's a few people who are justifying their heinous acts using religion as a crutch. This is really sad and my heart goes out to those victims."
Sophie Lambert, at the rally in suppor of France and the Muslim community, Friday, Jan. 9, 2015, on the steps of the California Capitol. Bob Moffitt / Capital Public Radio
Sophie Lambert and a few of her friends from France were also at the rally.
"I'm French, so we wanted to come here and support our country and support the Muslim community,” said Lambert.
The rally was organized by the Sacramento Valley Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization.
CAIR said its mission is “to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims and build coalitions to promote justice and mutual understanding.”
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