Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, April 2003, pages 81-83

Muslim-American Activism

Young Muslim-American Leaders Hold Annual Retreat

The City of Princeton, New Jersey hosted the annual Muslim Leaders Retreat during the weekend of Feb. 21 to Feb. 23. Workshop and discussion topics focused on rising to the current challenges facing Muslims in post-9/11 America through building alliances and outreach, being involved in public service arenas, and civil rights activism, among other strategies.

One of the conference sessions addressed impacting the media as a means of making a difference in the lives of Muslim Americans. Young Egyptian-American filmmaker Ahmed Soliman discussed his experiences working for a local newspaper and later for NBC. What can make a difference for Muslims, he stated, is being proactive and part of the media. He urged the Muslim community to encourage its young generation to rise to the challenge and become newsmakers instead of news observers. Rather than contenting themselves with launching petition campaigns to demand unbiased respectful coverage of Muslims by the mainstream media, he argued, they should be the people molding the news.

Soliman has recently completed production of a documentary entitled “Born in the U.S.A.,” which portrays the lives of contemporary Muslim Americans during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The documentary is currently being considered by PBS. Soliman also told the audience that economic empowerment from the Muslim community is needed to support projects such as his, intended to humanize Muslims to America.

Another speaker at the same session was Alex Kronemer, producer of the well-known documentary “Legacy of a Prophet.” Kronemer was the first Western cameraman to film the Muslim holy pilgrimage to Mecca, and has also worked with the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva.

Kronemer explained that the media is all about symbols. Profound and beautiful symbols in Islam, he said, are often given a sinister interpretation by the media. The image of a Muslim congregation in prayer, for example, often is shown in programs about terrorism or radical Islam. Also, he added, bashers of Islam and Muslims usually occupy front pages and headlines, while desperate replies by Muslims are found in the back editorial pages. Kronemer said he believes that “Legacy of a Prophet” changed this, so that Muslim bashers are clamoring to be heard while news of the documentary and its largely positive response was the focus of the headlines. The filmmaker encouraged audience members to support documentaries because they have the power to transform people’s ideas of Islam in more powerful ways than any other medium.—Asma Yousef

MPAC Human Rights Monitors Become a National Trend

Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) Monitors were deployed in major cities nationwide to monitor the Immigration and Naturalization Service as it conducted its special registration call-in for males from selected Arab and Muslim countries.

The monitoring program received a tremendous response from around the country, with hundreds of concerned citizens registering to monitor. Community organizations endorsed the project and volunteers received organizing kits from MPAC and watched monitoring training online, in addition to downloading organizing resources.

In Los Angeles, Japanese-Americans members of Nikei for Civil Rights and Redress (NCRR)joined the Human Rights Monitors in solidarity with the Muslim community, which has been placed in virtual internment since Sept. 11, 2001.

Persons interested in becoming a MPAC Human Rights Monitor are invited to visit <www.mpac.org>, where they can also view the MPAC monitor photo album page, in addition to a collection of national media coverage on the project. —Courtesy MPAC

NCPA Launches Toll-Free Line For Help on INS Registration

The National Council of Pakistani Americans (NCPA), in collaboration with The Resource Foundation, a non-profit economic development group, on Jan. 15 launched a toll-free telephone line to help people with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) registration process.

“We are asking members of our community, and also those from other communities, to call this toll-free number to seek help,” said NCPA president Faiz Rehman. “This service will work as a legal aid referral and a liaison with the Embassy of Pakistan.”

The toll-free phone number, 1-888-213-2122, is manned by a secretary. Callers should leave information with the secretary or a message in the voice mail box, and someone will get back to them within 24 hours. The information provided will be kept strictly confidential.

NCPA is one of the four civil rights groups which filed a lawsuit against the recent mass arrests in California, and NCPA members have had meetings with a U.S. senator and high level INS officials regarding the issue of INS Call-In Registration.

The Washington-based NCPA was established to promote political, social, and economic interests of the Pakistanis residing in the U.S. As an advocacy organization, it works actively and closely with civil rights groups, media, the Congress, the U.S. administration, and community organizations. For more information call the NCPA at (202) 210-7514, or e-mail <NCPA@Cox.net>.

—Courtesy NCPA

“Bridges TV”—Where American Muslims Come Home

Bridges TV is an English-language nationwide television channel, available via cable and satellite, providing entertainment and programming to American Muslims and mainstream Americans interested in Islam and Muslim culture. Bridges TV is not a religious channel, but a lifestyle channel that will provide sports, advice, news, music, programs for children and women, religious discussions, sitcoms, drama, finance, health, travel, and food shows to American Muslims.

The two purposes behind Bridges TV are to celebrate the rich diversity and talents of American Muslims and to build bridges of understanding and friendship between American Muslims and mainstream Americans.

Bridges TV will be available nationwide 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for a monthly subscription of less than $10.

While some foreign-language programming already is available on satellite—ART in Arabic, PTV in Urdu and Zee TV in Hindi—the shows and news are about issues back in the old countries. These channels appeal to the immigrant parents, not to their U.S.-born children or indigenous Muslims.

With no coverage of domestic issues, these channels are less relevant to Muslim life in America. Thus Bridges TV will be uniquely positioned to service this un-served market.

After 9/11 Muslims Have a Vital Mission to Reach Out

Among the 3,000 fatalities on 9/11, 358 Muslims lost their lives. Though Muslims represent only 3 percent of the U.S. population, they accounted for over 12 percent of the fatalities that day. On that day American Muslims also saw their entire faith hijacked, as the perpetrators of these murders claimed Islam as their religion. The Muslim victims thus were not only the 358 innocent souls inside the WTC towers, but to them must be added 7 million American Muslims as well.

Many innocent American Muslims have since suffered the humiliation of false arrests, de-boarding from airplanes, inappropriate search and seizure of property, workplace and business setbacks and social suspicion.

It would be easy for Muslims not to read the newspapers, turn off the television and ignore the media’s negative and ignorant comments. Instead, Muslim Americans have chosen to do whatever is necessary to educate Americans and give the true perspective of Muslims and Islam. While America discovers Muslims, at the same time it is equally important that American Muslims discover their important responsibilites to their nation.

Muslim Americans are also a vital new market. A comprehensive market research study of American Muslims in North America through Cornell University’s Johnson School of Business in April 2002 revealed that there are 8 million Muslims in North America: 7 million in the U.S. and 1 million in Canada.

For the last 10 years the American Muslim population has grown at an annual rate of 6 percent, versus 0.9 percent for the total U.S. population.

While, taken as a whole, Muslims represent only three percent of the North American population, the community is larger than the entire population of Norway, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland or Sweden.

American Muslims are young: 67 percent of adult American Muslims are under 40 years old. This is the direct opposite of mainstream American ages, with two-thirds of the U.S. population now over 40 years old.

American Muslims are well educated: 67 percent hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. versus 44 percent for Americans in the general population. The variance becomes even greater when it comes to advanced degrees, a master’s or higher. One-third of American Muslims hold an advanced degree, compared to 9 percent of total Americans.

Because education is highly correlated to affluence, it’s not surprising that American Muslims enjoy higher household incomes than the U.S. average of $42,158. Two-thirds of American Muslim households earn over $50,000 per year, and 26 percent earn over $100,000 per year.

Putting the above statistics in perspective, it is difficult to believe that this large, young, educated population remained for so long without a television channel or a voice of its own. It’s as if the entire population of Switzerland had no television channel. Not only is it important for American Muslims to develop understanding within their various ethnic groups, but, since 9/11, it is now a necessity to develop a bridge of understanding and friendship with all Americans.

Considering the above facts and needs, Muzzammil Hassan developed the idea and the business plan for “Bridges TV—Where American Muslims Come Home.” Hassan, who holds an MBA from one of the country’s top 20 business schools, worked 15 years in sales and marketing in Fortune 500 companies. Most recently he built the online lending business for a New York-based bank from $2 million in 1998 to over $230 million in 2002. It will be interesting to see what he does with Bridges TV.

To learn more about programming, advertising or investment opportunities in Bridges TV, visit the Web site at <www.bridges.tv>, call (716) 578-1317, fax (707) 885-1290, or e-mail mhassan@bridges.tv.

To get Bridges TV on local cable systems, please fill out a petition at <http://www.bridges.tv/Petition/petition.html>.

—Courtesy AMC

CAIR Launches National Ad Campaign

The Council on American Islamc Relations (CAIR) announced on Feb. 13 the launching of a year-long “Islam in America” advertising campaign designed to foster greater understanding of Islam and to counter what the group says is a rising tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the United States.

The campaign kicked off with an ad, headlined “We’re All Americans,” in The New York Times editorial page on Sunday, Feb. 16. That ad featured images of an African-American girl, an Asian man and another man of European heritage, and asked the question: “Which one of us is a Muslim?”

The response was: “We all are...we’re American Muslims.”

CAIR’s weekly ads, each explaining one aspect of Islam, will be distributed to Muslim communities around America for placement in local newspapers. As each ad is published in The New York Times, it will be available on a Web site, <www.americanmuslims.info>, specifically designed to promote the campaign.

“Without accurate and balanced information about mainstream Islam and Muslims,” said CAIR Board Chairman Omar Ahmad, “ordinary Americans are vulnerable to the purveyors of hate, in this country and around the world, who seek a perpetual religious and civilizational conflict.”

“American Muslims must take on the task of defining their faith,” added CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. “Otherwise, that definition will be left to those whose agenda serves religious and political goals that are in conflict with our nation’s long-term interests.”

Awad cited some of the Islamophobic rhetoric of evangelical and right-wing commentators, as well as the extremist views of some Muslims claiming to act in the name of Islam.

The text of the following Sunday’s New York Times ad read: “It’s impossible to make general assumptions about Muslims because we represent more than one billion people from a vast range of races, nationalities and cultures—from the South Pacific to the horn of Africa. Only about 18 percent of Muslims live in the Arabic-speaking world. The largest Muslim community is in Indonesia. Substantial parts of Asia and most of Africa have Muslim-majority populations, while significant minorities are to be found in the countries of the former Soviet Union, China, North and South America, and Europe.

“American Muslims are an equally diverse group of people. We’re immigrants from across the globe who came here seeking freedom and opportunity. We’re the children of immigrant parents, and descendants of Africans who have called America home for generations. We’re converts of varied nationalities and ethnic backgrounds. We’re doctors, lawyers, teachers, politicians, civil rights activists, mothers, fathers, students...making our homes and raising our families in communities across America.

“What we all have in common is a shared faith and a shared commitment to our nation’s safety and prosperity. We’re Americans and we’re Muslims.”

CAIR suggests publishing each weekly ad in your local community newspaper. This is a year-long campaign, so one can get more favorable rates by agreeing to publish a series of ads instead of just one.

To see the latest ads or to make a donation to support this campaign—visit the Web site <http://www.americanmuslims.info>. For any questions, please call CAIR at (202) 488-8787, e-mail <cair@cair-net.org>, or write CAIR, 453 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20003. —Courtesy CAIR