An event co-sponsored by the Voorheesville Public Library and the First United Methodist Church will feature a local Muslim activist in the hopes of kickstarting a discussion about diversity that will be followed with other events on the subject.

Fazana Saleem-Ismail, a follower of Islam who lives in Guilderland, has gone from explaining her religion at a library forum in June to helping to lead a march in Albany Saturday.

Hundreds of people — young and old, black and white and Asian, gay and straight, Christian ministers, Jewish rabbis, Muslims, and a Quaker poet — gathered in Albany on Saturday to “stand up against all forms of hate"” as organizer Fazana Saleem-Ismail put it.

A week ago, a friend of ours took part in Albany’s Pride parade. She spoke of how happy and together people felt that day. Gay men and lesbian women who had struggled so long and hard for acceptance could march in a parade, waving a flag of many colors, a symbol of their pride. And people cheered.

“Omar Mateen does not represent us,” said one of three Muslim women addressing a crowd at the Guilderland library the day after the Orlando massacre. Fazana Saleem-Ismail quoted from the Qur’an: “Whoever kills a human being, it is as if he killed all of mankind.”