Washington: At a time when American Muslims continue to expand their presence in the political scene and enhance their participation in public life, the Muslim community in the United States faces increasing challenges, foremost of which is the rise of Islamophobia and the decline of freedoms and divisions within society, which puts its leaders in front of the dual task of preserving political gains and building more cohesion and alliances with various components of American society.
According to Qatar News Agency, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) held its 32nd conference amid renewed challenges facing the Muslim community in the US, the most important of which is the escalation of inflammatory rhetoric and Islamophobia, in addition to the decline of freedoms in general, council officials point out.
CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said in an exclusive statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the challenges experienced by the US, the most important of which is the decline in freedoms, economic indicators, and foreign policy confusion, forced CAIR to focus on their role in preserving the values of democracy. He also urged the administration to abide by the US Constitution and advance American interests over any foreign agenda.
Awad praised the presence of 255 elected Muslim officials at the Congress and various state legislatures levels, and expressed his hope to double the number to reflect the increasing political participation of the Muslim community in order to correct the democratic path in the country.
In turn, CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell confirmed in a similar statement to QNA that the US has witnessed waves of hatred against Muslims in the past because bad faith parties held all Muslims responsible for the crime of September 11. He explained that now, the escalation of hatred against Muslims is not a reaction to a "terrorist" incident, but rather a reaction to the positive progress that American Muslims are making in favor of the country, such as winning elected positions, raising the voice against the genocide in Gaza, and anti-discrimination in general. He pointed out that two things are happening at the same time: an advance for Muslims, offset by a backlash.
The CAIR National Deputy Director highlighted the great diversity in the conference attendance, which was held under the slogan "We the People: Saving Our Democracy, Building Our Future." It also showcased another challenge faced by the community leaders, which is the need to address the differences between the components of the Muslim society in a way that prevents the dispersal of their efforts in public work.
For his part, Interim Executive Director of CAIR-Texas Mustafaa Carroll told QNA that the Muslim community should benefit from its diversity, whether at the level of solidarity with other Muslims, or expanding alliances to serve the public interest.
He explained that the Muslim community in the US suffers from a state of division, pointing out that immigrant Muslims from around the world constitute the majority of the attendance at the conference, while Muslims of African descent are less present. He stressed the need to confront this division, which raises the resentment of various components of the Muslim community.
The 32nd Annual CAIR Conference comes within the framework of the annual events that bring together Muslim activists, leaders, and representatives of human rights and civil organizations from across the United States to discuss issues related to political participation, civil rights, and enhancing Muslim presence in public life, as well as discussing the challenges facing the Muslim community and ways to deal with them.
This year, the conference carried the slogan "We the People: Saving Our Democracy, Building Our Future," and its sessions and discussions focused on issues of policymaking and strategic planning, building alliances and communication between activists and community leaders, in an effort to enhance the political and civic participation of American Muslims, and expand cooperation with various components of American society.