Bernie Sanders answers a question from student Remaz Abdelgader at a rally at the Recreation and Athletic Complex on the George Mason University Fairfax Campus. Photo by Evan Cantwell/George Mason University.
Remaz Abdelgader is a student at George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, who wants to be a human rights attorney. On Wednesday, she took her message to a national audience, and it has since gone viral.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, a 2016 Democratic candidate for President, called on her during his town hall discussion at Mason’s Fairfax Campus, which was streamed to more than 300 colleges across the country.
“I as an individual am constantly trying to make sure that everyone is treated equally in this country,” she told Sanders, before asking what he would do to combat anti-Islamic sentiment in the United States.
Sanders, the fifth 2016 presidential candidate to visit Mason’s campus, invited her on stage after she spoke. Sanders then mentioned the death of his father’s family in the Nazi concentration camps, and compared the anti-Islam stance in the country to anti-Semitism. He applauded Abdelgader for her efforts, and gave her a hug before she returned to her seat.
“If you stand for anything we have got to stand together and end all forms of racism, and I will lead that effort as president of the United States,” Sanders said.
The video has been viewed more than 1.4 million times.