Anonymous love notes cheer Muslim residents

It was a terrible weekend in the U.S. for many immigrants and refugees — and for Muslims, whether or not they’re natural-born American citizens — who were appalled to learn that the Donald Trump administration has cracked down on refugee resettlement and international travel from several Muslim-majority countries.

Shirin Elkoshairi, who has dual citizenship in Egypt and the U.S., said he’s now worried about getting back into America if he leaves the country to visit his parents abroad. In general, he said, the local Muslim community is feeling a lot of anxiety about rising racism and bigotry.

“There’s a lot of concern, a lot of fear, a lot of questions,” he said. “Are we at the beginning of something worse?”

So it was a delight for Clark County Muslims to show up Sunday morning at their modest, out-of-the-way mosque in Hazel Dell — and discover that Valentine’s Day had arrived early. The building’s double doors were decorated with sweet, colorful, construction-paper messages of love, compassion and friendship:

“Thank you for bringing us light.”

“Our hearts are open to refugees.”

“We love our Muslim neighbors.”

“We support our Muslim brothers and sisters. United We Stand!”

No word on who performed this act of non-random kindness and sensible beauty, Elkoshairi said. But it’s just what the doctor ordered for worried members of the mosque, he said.

“We’re beyond touched and we’re thanking the Vancouver community,” he said. “We’ve been scared — but we are feeling the support.” The same goes for the spontaneous protests that sprang up at PDX, SeaTac and other international airports, he said. The vast majority of those protesters, he pointed out, are not Muslims.

“We feel included and humbled,” he said. Elkoshairi added that he’s personally determined to become a better ally for non-Muslims who are also feeling threatened and worried.