A well-known Muslim interfaith advocate is set to head what organizers describe as the first Muslim delegation to take part in New York City’s annual Israel Day Parade on Fifth Parade on Sunday, despite facing threats and backlash for her outspoken support of Israel and the Jewish community, according to the New York Post.

Anila Ali, a Pakistan-born civil rights activist and founder of the American Muslim & Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council, said she plans to march with dozens of fellow Muslim supporters, including an imam and several children.

“We are a little worried after somebody’s been calling and saying to wear a bulletproof vest,” Ali told the New York Post. “But we’re fighting to take back our country, and it’s a fight that every American should join.”

Ali’s participation comes amid criticism directed at New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for choosing not to attend the parade, making him the first sitting mayor to miss the event since 1964.

Ali said her presence at the parade is intended to send a clear message as antisemitism continues to rise.

“I want to show I’m a proud Muslim,” she told the New York Post. “I try not to think about the threat, but about what we’re doing – standing with Israel’s right to exist.”

A longtime supporter of Muslim-Jewish engagement, Ali has previously led Muslim delegations to Israel and said she has frequently come under attack from opponents of her outreach efforts.

“I’m now speaking at the height of antisemitism in America for my Jewish brothers and sisters,” she said.

Ali also took aim at Mamdani over his decision not to participate in the parade and after appearing at a recent End Jew Hatred demonstration outside Gracie Mansion.
“Saying ‘I’m a Muslim’ does not give you, Mr. Mamdani, the right to make Jewish New Yorkers feel unsafe,” she said at a recent rally, according to the Post.

She further argued that the mayor has created an atmosphere in which critics are reluctant to speak out.

“He’s using the politics of intimidation,” Ali said. “They want this mayor out, but they fear that the moment they say something, they will be intimidated and harassed.”

Mamdani has maintained that skipping the parade should not be viewed as a slight against the Jewish community and has pledged full security assistance for the event. Nevertheless, his decision drew criticism from Jewish leaders and pro-Israel organizations, which noted that every New York City mayor for more than 60 years has attended the parade.

Mark Treyger, chief executive of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, which organizes the event, praised the involvement of Muslim and other interfaith participants.