A man who held a sign reading "You belong" in front of the Islamic Center of Irving is being lauded on Facebook after photos of his act went viral.

Justin Normand, a 53-year-old man who lives and works in Dallas, identified himself Monday as the man holding the sign. He said he had the urge to "share peace with [his] neighbors" after the election results rolled in Nov. 9., so he went out on his own last weekend and did just that.

"I have been in a malaise and turmoil since the election, as have many of the people in my community," Normand said. "It was just an expression of mine. This happened because I needed to do something, and I had nothing else that I could do."

Normand, who manages a Dallas sign shop, made the sign himself. It reads in full: "You belong. Stay strong. Be blessed. We are one America."

"This was about binding up the wounded. About showing compassion and empathy for the hurting and fearful among us," Normand wrote in his Facebook post. "Or, in some Christian traditions, this was about washing my brother's feet. This was about my religion, not theirs."

Normand's post had been shared more than 6,500 times by Tuesday afternoon, less than a day after he posted it Monday night.

The Islamic Center of Irving at 2555 Esters Rd, pictured, on March 18, 2015. (Michael Ainsworth / Staff Photographer)

He said the response has been three-fold: "hospitality and love" from the members of the Islamic Center of Irving; the "avalanche" of support from people on social media, which he says has been the "most humbling experience" of his life; and a small portion of negative feedback.

The sign maker said that he's a Presbyterian and that his act of compassion was a way to protect the American way of life.

"Targeting people for their religion not only threatens our way of life, it is the polar opposite of our way of life," Normand wrote.

He said he doesn't normally wear a cowboy hat, but he recognized that he symbolizes a segment of Texas that the Islamic community needed to hear from.

Gary Cathey, Normand's husband of 25 years, said many people have called his husband's act courageous and brave, and he appreciates that, but he has a different view.

"I think that it was an act that very much represents him and what is in his heart," Cathey, 60, said. "It was him trying to live out his faith. I'm very proud of him because the message was pure and genuine to a group of people he felt were being singled out negatively. But it was just as simple as that. It wasn't anything other than a simple expression of his faith."

Nick Pelletier, director of outreach for the Islamic Center of Irving, came across Normand after he finished praying at the mosque on Saturday.

He recorded the encounter and opened the video discussing recent political developments in the U.S. and the increasing number of hate crimes being committed across the country. He says that being scared in the U.S. because of his faith is nothing new, but that there are many people who have come to the Islamic Center of Irving to tell him and his fellow believers that they're with them.

"You know, there's always going to be good people who are going to defend Islam, even though they themselves may not be Muslims," Pelletier says in the video.

When Pelletier and Normand meet in the video, they begin a discussion about fear, faith, community, and what Americans can do to help one another, which they say starts with speaking up when injustices are being committed.

Toward the end of his Facebook post, Normand quotes a Bible verse from the book of Matthew and the inscription on the Statue of Liberty. Both quotes have a common theme of helping those in need, something that resonates with Normand.

"Find a group marginalized by the haters in this current era we find ourselves in," Normand advises in his post. "Then, find a way to express your acceptance to that group in a physically present way, as opposed to a digital one. I can assure you, from their outpouring of smiles, hugs, tears, hospitality, messages extending God's love, and a bouquet of flowers, it will mean a lot."