
A group of young Muslim-American leaders came to the Center for American Progress last November to discuss the challenges and opportunities they are facing, and to explore ways to strengthen their work. The meeting was held exactly one week after the Fort Hood shootings in Texas, and that event colored the day's conversation. As one of the organizers reflected, despite the engagement of millions of Muslim Americans from all walks of life, events like Fort Hood can trigger public fears and stereotypes that eclipse this reality and focus on threat and danger.
In this article posted on the State Department's website, Salam Al-Marayati says the Quran encourages Muslims to promote religious freedom and counter religious bigotry. America.gov asked Salam Al-Marayati: Is it possible to protect religion without limiting free speech?
In the wake of the failed Christmas Day airplane bombing, the Obama Administration took new steps to improve airline security. President Obama ordered US agencies to move faster and more accurately to prevent future terrorist attacks. He said while the vast majority of Muslims reject al-Qaeda, the US must develop a strategy that addresses the challenges posed by lone recruits. Under new TSA [Transportation Security Administration] procedures, passengers traveling from 14 nations, most of them predominantly Muslim, are facing enhanced screenings. Many American Muslim groups say while they are concerned about security, they are still worried that their community is being unfairly targeted by what they call 'religious profiling.'
Since the shocking Christmas Day attempted bombing aboard a flight bound for Detroit, MPAC staff have been inundated with requests for media interviews from national and international media outlets.
The stigma on Muslim Americans worsened in 2009. The latest events, including arrests of the Newburgh Four in New York, Michael Finton in Illinois, and Hossam Smadi in Texas; then the Fort Hood, Texas, massacre by Nidal Malik Hasan; and most recently the arrest in Pakistan of five young Muslim men from Virginia attempting to join a militant group there have only added to difficulties.
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