-—FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—-
Washington, D.C., 12/12/205: The Islamic Circle of North America along with other member organizations of USCMO (US Council of Muslim Organizations) called for a National Muslim Leadership Summit. The summit will take place on December 20, 2015 in Washington, DC area.
The President of ICNA, Naeem Baig, said, “We are pleased that we were able to make this call for the Muslim Leadership to come together and address the issues the American Muslim community is facing in the country today. The level of bigotry and xenophobia especially targeted towards American Muslims and also against other minorities is reaching the pre civil rights struggle time.”
The National Leadership Summit is to discuss the situation after the horrific shooting in San Bernardino, CA and address the concerns over the rising islamophobic rhetoric and the increase of violent backlash incidents against the American Muslim community, and developing guidelines to ensure the safety and security of community members, their institutions, and places of worship. The summit will also discuss the alarming subversion of violent extremist ideology targeting members of the community and the steps to counter this disturbing influence.
The invitation to the national leadership summit went to Muslim leaders across the country including presidents of community centers and organizations, Imams, teachers, and youth counselors. USCMO will hold the leadership summit on Sunday December 20, 2015, in Washington, DC.
The USCMO leadership understands the magnitude of the challenge facing our community and will not allow Islamophobes or ISIS to define American Muslims or to decide our fate. American Muslims will define themselves and will chart their destiny.
The US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO) is a coalition of leading national and local Muslim organizations. USCMO founding members are: American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA), Muslim American Society (MAS), Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA), Muslim Ummah of North America (MUNA), and The Mosque Cares (Ministry of Imam W. Deen Mohammed).
USCMO Announces National Muslim Leadership Summit
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It is a great idea. Please consider the following. (1) Islamic Centers and Mosque can contribute more than the national organizations in combating Islamophobia and terrorism because they are in the communities and our first line of defense. Islamic centers should have regular discussions in Sunday schools and in Juma prayers on these matters. They should get more involved in communities. They should know what is happening in the community and take proactive measures. (2) National organizations should have readily available American born competent spokesperson who is fluent in English.We see many time times Muslims on TV who cannot speak English well and cannot express themselves. (3) Bring new American born leadership in Muslim organizations. The first immigrant Muslim generation has done a great job of building infrastructure of Mosques and Muslim organizations but they are not upto the challenge today.Old generation was great yesterday, is not good today and will be disastrous tomorrow.
After 9/11 Prof. Abou El Fadle, Professor of Law at UCLA and Islamic Scholar, wrote in one of his letter to CAIR regarding Muslim leadership: Unfortunately it is true today also and is worth reading.
“My experience is that most Muslim organizations do not have the ability to benefit from and adequately utilize their human resources; they are unable or unwilling to incorporate a dynamic process of intellectual regeneration. For example, the same individuals who have existed at the helm of leadership when I came to the USA in 1982, are the same fellows who continue to dominate the Muslim reality today. What is interesting is that these individuals do not seem to have developed intellectually, or even linguistically, in more than twenty years. I find them still relying on the same ideas, and using the same language, that they utilized over twenty years ago without development or regeneration. Even worse, I find that their grip on power is such that they muffle and suffocate the emergence of any fresh intellects, original ideas, or the incorporation of diverse experiences. Whether we are from the Arab or Indo-Pakistani world, it seems to me that despite the façade of democratic processes that we have learned to master in our home cultures, despotic processes and paradigms has become well-ingrained in the very psychology and intellectual fabric of our leadership. Our main organizations, despite the façade of democracy, are still trapped within the mainly despotic paradigms that they imported from back home.”
InnshaAllah
If Islam and hence obedience to Allah through Muhammad Rasulullah is under mankinds doctrine and wish then yu can do something to succeed. But I am sorry for you. You cannot succeed how much yu go without obeying Muhammad.
Muslims are not ready to obey Muhammad Rasulullah.
i have to agree Fayyaz, if there are not active relationships in place and an openness the very pepole that need to be reach may pass by the good intent of this top heavy effort. And the heavy leadership may pass over the best qulified to deliver the intended concerns. Having said that, you have to start some where insha Allah. May Allah bless and except the good intentions and honest efforts. Imam Mikal H Shabazz