By Della Hasselle and Jennifer Glickel
DNAinfo Reporter/Producers
MANHATTAN — Celebrations of what would have been Mother Teresa’s 100th birthday took place everywhere across the city Thursday — everywhere, that is, except at the Empire State Building.
Hundreds of New Yorkers, including comedian Jackie Mason and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa as well as representatives from Jewish, Muslim and Hindu groups gathered in front of the landmark to protest the building's decision not to honor Mother Teresa in lights Thursday evening.
Pictures of Mother Teresa were projected on the backdrop of a stage erected on East 34th Street, where a slew of speakers booked by the conservative Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights commemorated Mother Teresa's good works and decried the building's refusal to honor her memory.
"Nobody else sacrificed their life like her," comedian Jackie Mason said. "What has she ever done that offended anybody? Where is the schmuck, the moron, the idiot offended by Mother Teresa?”
Beth Gilinsky, founder of the Jewish Action Alliance, said that between the uproar over the mosque near Ground Zero and the controversy over the Empire State Building lighting, she felt there was something "very screwed up about what’s going on in this city."
"If we Americans don’t start making some judgement now between good and evil, we’re going to be in a lot of trouble," Gilinsky said, and then started the crowd chanting, “turn on the lights, turn on the lights."
Protesters carried signs bearing pictures of the Catholic humanitarian and some of her quotes, like, “Kindness is a language we all can speak. Even the deaf can hear it and the blind can see it.”
One sign asked, "Why dim the lights on a woman who lit up the world?”
Jenny Aguije, 48, a special education teacher in N.J., made fliers informing people of the protest and handed them out throughout the week.
"It's not fair to not stand by someone who has done so much for needy people. We need to speak out and recognizer her," Aguije said.
John Gattuso, a 75-year-old Upper East Sider, worried that the decision not to light the Empire State Building in Mother Teresa's honor was a growing sign that "people don’t want to be open to Catholics."
Instead of blue and white lights to honor the Catholic nun, the building was lit in red, white and blue for the 90th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn declared Aug. 26 a day of service for Mother Teresa back in June in response to the Empire State Building's decision not to change the lights for Mother Teresa.
“The Empire State Building can go ahead and light their building however they want, I'm putting a light in my window for Mother Teresa,” Quinn said at the announcement on June 10.
“The Empire State Building does not have final say on how Mother Teresa’s life should be honored,” she added.
Events celebrating Mother Teresa Thursday ran the gamut from park clean-ups to serving food to senior citizens.
Quinn and Council member Robert Jackson, who represents residents from Morningside Heights to Inwood, took part in a park clean up on Thursday morning at Fort Tryon Park. In the evening, Quinn participated in a special mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral for Mother Teresa.
Other Manhattan Council members participating in service events Thursday were Melissa Mark-Viverito, who attended an anti-violence youth event in East Harlem, and Ydanis Rodriguez, who served lunch to seniors in Washington Heights.
Speaker Quinn will also be at a special Times Square lighting ceremony in honor of Mother Teresa at 8:30 p.m. in Duffy Square.
