Joe Ahmed, the lead pastor at the Muslim United Association of Boston’s United Muslim Community of Boston, said he thought Trump was right to stand up for Muslims. But he added that “they needed to use their voices as much as they could.”

And he said other Muslims in the area have already asked him how they should respond.

The president’s speech came the same day that the country officially honored the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. His remarks come one day after the city also declared a day of mourning after the tragedy, during which he told the crowd: “May God have mercy on your families.”

[Muslim community asks Muslims not to be silenced]

A representative for the Massachusetts Commission for Muslim Services said late Thursday that Trump’s comments were not intended to be a call for Muslims to stand up for the country, but rather to show support for all Muslims.

Officials in Springfield and surrounding communities had prepared for Trump’s speech and were monitoring his tweets closely, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said. Walsh said his city had received roughly 80 phone calls and 40 emails related to Trump’s remarks “but we had anticipated a significant portion coming from here.”

“You can say what you want, to disagree with him, but that’s the kind of politics we see, and that’s what I mean by us as a city, and we’re moving forward,” Walsh said. “We’re not retreating under the banner of Trump or whatever it is that’s being said, but the important thing here is to move forward and move forward in a way that’s positive.”

Walsh was asked whether he thought Trump should step down: “I can tell you this: It is still too early. You see how people are reacting.”

Walsh said a city official planned an event Friday night by residents and leaders from across the region, including representatives of the Muslim community, to discuss the president’s statements and what else might prompt Muslims to speak out in the future.

“We may not be in leadership roles immediately, but we’ll still be standing up for the values that make us Bostonians,” Walsh said. “I’m sure this is going to be a very good and stimulating conversation.”

Walsh, whose family was also born in Palestine, said he wants to see leaders from cities across the country discuss issues of importance to Muslims — from the Muslim ban in entry to the “war on terror” to the fight against terror in