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| We welcome President Obama's words in his mosque visit. Now we need actions We welcome President Obama's words in his mosque visit. Now we need actions | |
| (4 months later) | |
| The majority of Americans have never stepped foot inside a mosque. Now, after seven years in office, Barack Obama has finally visited one on US soil. We hope others will follow suit. And we hope, most importantly, that the president’s words will be followed by actions. | The majority of Americans have never stepped foot inside a mosque. Now, after seven years in office, Barack Obama has finally visited one on US soil. We hope others will follow suit. And we hope, most importantly, that the president’s words will be followed by actions. |
| Both of us are proud New Yorkers, parents, non-profit leaders and Muslims. On Wednesday we drove down to Maryland to participate in the president’s mosque visit. Obama has been absent from the Muslim community for many years. On the way down, we wondered what, if anything, he could do to make up for this and alleviate our concerns. | Both of us are proud New Yorkers, parents, non-profit leaders and Muslims. On Wednesday we drove down to Maryland to participate in the president’s mosque visit. Obama has been absent from the Muslim community for many years. On the way down, we wondered what, if anything, he could do to make up for this and alleviate our concerns. |
| American Muslims not only face bias, discrimination and acts of hate but also the impact of government policies that have continued to stigmatize our communities. In New York City, the reality of Islamophobia has risen above hateful rhetoric. Words have turned into violence. | American Muslims not only face bias, discrimination and acts of hate but also the impact of government policies that have continued to stigmatize our communities. In New York City, the reality of Islamophobia has risen above hateful rhetoric. Words have turned into violence. |
| Brutal beatings of elderly Muslims; assaults on elementary schoolgirls wearing hijab; attacks on Muslim shopkeepers – these acts have become more frequent and have sent shockwaves throughout our communities. | Brutal beatings of elderly Muslims; assaults on elementary schoolgirls wearing hijab; attacks on Muslim shopkeepers – these acts have become more frequent and have sent shockwaves throughout our communities. |
| We also carry the impact of unwarranted surveillance, pervasive screenings and questioning at US borders and lack of access to services, among other concerns. Our stories are reflective of Muslim communities across the country. We come with these complex emotions, thoughts and expectations. | We also carry the impact of unwarranted surveillance, pervasive screenings and questioning at US borders and lack of access to services, among other concerns. Our stories are reflective of Muslim communities across the country. We come with these complex emotions, thoughts and expectations. |
| Words do matter – and we welcome President Obama’s visit and speech at the Islamic Society of Baltimore. As Obama noted, there has never been an America without Islam. “Generations of Muslims helped build our nation,” he rightly said. Muslims have been on these shores before the founding of our country and our lineage as American Muslims runs deep. | Words do matter – and we welcome President Obama’s visit and speech at the Islamic Society of Baltimore. As Obama noted, there has never been an America without Islam. “Generations of Muslims helped build our nation,” he rightly said. Muslims have been on these shores before the founding of our country and our lineage as American Muslims runs deep. |
| This “Islam in America 101” crash course by the president is much needed in schools, congregations and neighborhoods across the country. We agreed with President Obama when he said: “We can’t securitize our entire relationship with American Muslims,” and when he said “Engagement with Muslims American communities must never be a cover for surveillance.” | This “Islam in America 101” crash course by the president is much needed in schools, congregations and neighborhoods across the country. We agreed with President Obama when he said: “We can’t securitize our entire relationship with American Muslims,” and when he said “Engagement with Muslims American communities must never be a cover for surveillance.” |
| We as American Muslim communities must be seen and treated as citizens of our country and not as suspects. We are also part of leading social justice movements calling for an end to police brutality, a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants, education reform and welcoming of Syrian refugees. | We as American Muslim communities must be seen and treated as citizens of our country and not as suspects. We are also part of leading social justice movements calling for an end to police brutality, a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants, education reform and welcoming of Syrian refugees. |
| We are providers of social services, free high quality medical services and on the streets of Flint distributing clean water. We are proud of our history, our contributions to the United States and our work and sacrifices to push our country to be the greatest nation in the world. | We are providers of social services, free high quality medical services and on the streets of Flint distributing clean water. We are proud of our history, our contributions to the United States and our work and sacrifices to push our country to be the greatest nation in the world. |
| As leaders in American Muslim communities, we know we are multi-dimensional, and the most diverse faith community in the country, representing every race, ethnicity and national origin. We are much bigger than a national security box that we have so long been limited to – yet our voices have been ignored on policy issues for too long. | As leaders in American Muslim communities, we know we are multi-dimensional, and the most diverse faith community in the country, representing every race, ethnicity and national origin. We are much bigger than a national security box that we have so long been limited to – yet our voices have been ignored on policy issues for too long. |
| Much work needs to be done to address these problems. So, while Obama’s words do matter, actions matter more. | Much work needs to be done to address these problems. So, while Obama’s words do matter, actions matter more. |
| We hope that this current administration uses their remaining months to strengthen existing federal guidance aimed at ending racial and religious profiling of American Muslims and other communities of color. We must eliminate policies and programs that result in the surveillance of mosques, Muslim schools and restaurants and put in place more robust policies that track, monitor and effectively address civil rights violations, discrimination and hate violence targeting our communities. | We hope that this current administration uses their remaining months to strengthen existing federal guidance aimed at ending racial and religious profiling of American Muslims and other communities of color. We must eliminate policies and programs that result in the surveillance of mosques, Muslim schools and restaurants and put in place more robust policies that track, monitor and effectively address civil rights violations, discrimination and hate violence targeting our communities. |
| These reforms are stepping stones towards meaningful relationships with the communities we serve. | These reforms are stepping stones towards meaningful relationships with the communities we serve. |
| As parents, we struggle every day to raise our children to love themselves and their faith. We will never stop fighting for the rights of our children to grow up in a nation that embraces them for who they are, what they believe and allows them to live their full potential. Our goal is not to prepare our children for this world, our goal is to prepare this world for our children. | As parents, we struggle every day to raise our children to love themselves and their faith. We will never stop fighting for the rights of our children to grow up in a nation that embraces them for who they are, what they believe and allows them to live their full potential. Our goal is not to prepare our children for this world, our goal is to prepare this world for our children. |