The dream of an American Muslim presence in the nation’s political space has become a reality. Through a decade of dedicated efforts Muslims are now perceived as having a stake in the political system. The words Islam and Muslim increasingly carry a human face, an American one, for many Congressmen, Senators and White House policymakers. Indeed, the followers of Islam are seen as voters whose support is necessary for winning elections.
Much of the credit for these achievements goes to the American Muslim Council. This organization, the oldest of the advocacy groups, recently held its tenth annual convention to recognize the important milestone it has attained.
The four day event, “From Dream to Mainstream” was held in Washington, DC, from June 21 to 24, 2001. About five hundred attendees listened to panelists and speakers offer perspectives on issues of topical interest ranging from media relations and political activism to the plight of Palestinians.
The rigorous schedule of the conference began with “Muslim Day on Capitol Hill.” The meeting opened at Longworth House Office Building in the morning with a briefing session for congressional visits. The three speakers on the panel “The Art of Lobbying” provided tips to participants for discussing Muslim concerns with their representatives.
The panelists were young Muslims with experience in Washington politics. They included Jameel Johnson and Amna Akbar, staff assistants to Congressmen and, Suhail Khan, the former aide to Rep. Tom Campbell (R-CA), now an assistant in the White House Office of Public Liaison.
In the afternoon several participants visited their Congressmen and Senators to discuss with them the Muslim views on profiling, secret evidence legislation, sanctions on Iraq, the U.S. role in the Middle East peace process, and the problems of Kashmir and Chechnya.
Later, in the evening several members of Congress were honored at a Capitol Hill Buffet Reception for being particularly helpful to the Muslim community. Almost all of the honorees told the participants that their doors are always open for Muslims to come in and to discuss their legislative concerns with them.
The following day, traditionally the highlight of the gathering, the White House briefing session promised a new breakthrough. But the projected address by Dick Cheney, the Vice President of the United States, was unexpectedly canceled at the last minute. Instead, Karl Rove, the Senior Advisor to Bush, spoke on behalf of the administration.
After the Jumuah prayers the session on “Halal Legislation Workshop” attracted considerable interest. Almost all the panelists who spoke had worked at the state level for the passage of laws known as “Halal Bill.” This was a testimony to political activism at the grassroots. The first state to adopt halal legislation was New Jersey, about a year ago, followed by Minnesota in the spring and Illinois this summer. Similar bills are pending, or soon will be, in California and Michigan.
As in the past, Saturday proved to be unusually busy with several prominent speakers and timely panels. The message to the community was to become politically active. It was pointed out repeatedly that the means for receiving benefits of the system is the political process. Prof. John Esposito appealed to the Muslims to build and strengthen their basic institutions in order to become effective participants in the society.
At the Saturday night banquet Rep. James Moran (D-VA) pleaded with Muslims for visibility in the political process. In his talk laced with humor, Moran pleaded with Muslims to hold Congressmen’s feet to fire on such issues as secret evidence.
The prominent academic, Prof. Akbar Ahmed, shared some of the same concerns and argued that at a more general level the Muslim presence in the West could be an opportunity for “a dialogue of civilizations.” He suggested that Muslims master the use of media to facilitate the creation of bonds with peoples of other religions and cultures.
The attendees particularly appreciated the presentation by the former Congressman Paul Findley (R-IL). He discussed his latest book, Silent No More, an optimistic and complimentary account of the growth of the Muslim community in America. Though Zionist pressure caused the loss of his seat in 1982 Findley has continued to champion the rights of the Palestinians. He did so quite eloquently that evening, even as he celebrated his 80th birthday.
The convention spotlighted the crucial role of Islamic Centers and mosques in creating political awareness. These have the potential to mobilize Muslims to rally around candidates sympathetic to Muslim perspectives.
The ending session noted the importance of human rights for Muslims, both at home and abroad. Denied rights in many countries Muslims ought to champion the cause, observed Prof. Hisham Sharabi, particularly in light of the brutality being inflicted on the Palestinians at present.