As a convert I can confirm that seeing Islam in practice can be transformative, but I'm not sure that these staged events have the same impact. I lived in India amongst Muslims for a year before converting and one of the most significant factors in my transformation was observing the daily practice of namaz and dhikr integrated into the lives of my friends there. I have met many converts who have had similar experiences in Muslims countries and even in Muslim neighborhoods in the US and the UK. I know of others who somehow stumbled into a gathering of dhikr without knowing what it was and left with their hearts illuminated. This Times Square event is likely to strike a louder chord with anxious Muslims than with non-Muslims. The speeches that were given at the end (you can see more in other videos) sounded a little confrontational as well. Islam should be visible in the US but we must be mindful of how it is perceived. There are masajid very close to where this event was staged an it does not seem as if they were consulted.
Imagine praying in front of a Television while it's running ads. The big brain American Muslim community probably oversaw that. And let's not even talk about the women walking around. What kind of Imam sanctioned this is beyond me.
Tarawih at Times Square came across this on linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6917168558313480192/ Do these kind of things really aid in dawah?
