June 28, 2019

We were asked to join and attended the first meeting of a task force intended to protect houses of worship. We will be advising the Department of Homeland Security and other law enforcement agencies on how best to protect Muslim communities and other religious groups. This subcommittee is a response to the rising number of devastating attacks against mosques, synagogues, temples, and churches carried out primarily by white supremacists. We will be participating alongside other faith-based leaders and security experts, including leaders from the Sikh American Legal Defense & Education Fund (SALDEF), the Secure Community Network of the American Jewish community, and the Christian Emergency Network. 

Our role in this limited-scope subcommittee is to highlight the external threats posed by violent white supremacist groups against our houses of worship and communities. Here is what we will focus on: 

• Making federal funds more accesible to American Muslim communities.
• Advising law enforcement on how to better protect mosques, Muslim community centers and schools. 
• Focus on the threat white supremacist violence on all Americans. 

In order to send a comprehensive and inclusive report to DHS, we will be collaborating with organizations like CAIR National and Muslim leaders across the US. We will ensure that the recommendations we provide are diverse and includes the impact on vulnerable communities. We aim to serve each part of our community’s needs.