Excerpt:
For the prior 12 years, an assortment of Minnesota Muslim organizations has gathered at the Capitol in St. Paul to make their presence known to lawmakers.
This year, "Muslim Day at the Capitol" was different.
Those attending the event Wednesday — many decades-long residents of Minnesota — said they feel misunderstood now more than ever, subjected to scrutiny, Islamophobia and outright bigotry.
At the same time, they rallied around a tone of resilience, including calls for public service, and applauded — and were applauded by — non-Muslim leaders, including Gov. Mark Dayton.