US MUSLIMS LAUNCH UMBRELLA GROUP

Washington, 16 Jamada Al Awwal 1434/ 17 March 2014 (MINA) – The Leaders of ten major national American Muslim organizations have come together to announce the launch of an umbrella group that will serve as a representative voice for Muslims.

The meeting also seeks to enhance its positive impact on society, International Islamic News Agency (IINA) reported as quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).

“This is an announcement which has been long-awaited by the Muslim-American community,” Oussama Jammal, secretary general of the newly formed U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), said in a press conference.

“We’re delighted that these major organizations have gotten together in response to the aspirations and hopes of the American Muslim community to have a voice and an umbrella organization.” It includes ten organizations namely; the Mosque Cares, Muslim American Society (MAS), American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Islamic Circle of North American (ICNA), Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA), Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA), Muslim Ummah of North America (MUNA), American Muslim Alliance (AMA) and The Mosque Foundation (Chicago).

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Nihad Awad, the executive director of CAIR, said that the formation of the group, which took more than two years, will help Muslim-Americans to better communicate with one another, and with the American public.

The new national council’s first priority will be to build on Muslim citizenship rights by conducting a census of American Muslims to create a database that will be used to enhance civic and political participation in upcoming elections.

“A detailed census will allow the larger Muslim community to better participate in our nation’s political process,” Jammal said. Though there are no official estimates, the US is home to an estimated Muslim minority of six to eight million.

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An earlier Gallup poll found that the majority of Americans Muslims are loyal to their country and optimistic about their future in the United States.

A recent survey found that American Muslims are the most moderate around the world. It also showed that US Muslims generally express strong commitment to their faith and tend not to see an inherent conflict between being devout and living in a modern society.(T/P02/P04/E01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)