Protesters gather to hold anti-Islam rally at Phoenix mosque

PHOENIX (AP) — About 200 protesters gathered in front of a mosque Saturday afternoon to demonstrate against Islam as part of a nationwide campaign that went largely unheeded.

KTAR radio (http://bit.ly/1LGK9Rq) reports that the protesters in Phoenix held a rally in front of the Islamic Community Center. The rally appeared to be the most significant in size in the country after a call for protests against Islam in America this weekend.

Usama Shami, president of the Islamic Community Center, says rally organizers are displaying their bigotry.

Rally organizer John Ritzheimer says he is not against Muslims, but he is against what he calls their ideology. He led a rally at the mosque in May after two former congregants were killed when they tried to attack an anti-Islam event in Texas.