Muslim meeting builds bridges despite threat
Monday, March 12, 2007
Bergen Record
By SONI SANGHA
STAFF WRITER
The annual brunch sponsored by the American Muslim Union was delayed by 45
minutes because of a bomb threat. Weeks earlier, a key speaker -- a
Muslim-Canadian scholar -- couldn't get his visa.
Ironically, these incidents coincided with the event titled "Peace, Justice and
Liberty for All," held at the Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe. Symbolically, they
represent what the community is trying to overcome: the misperception that
American Muslims are a fringe community, potentially sympathetic to terrorist
factions.
So members reach out to community leaders, clergymen of many faiths and
politicians on the local and state levels at gatherings such as this. The
community maintains it is determined to be accepted, and members will accomplish
their goal slowly but steadily, one handshake, one interfaith brunch, one
political foray at a time.
"There's still a long way to go," said Waheed Khalid, the Bergen County chairman
of the American Muslim Union. "Unfortunately, our community is not doing enough.
How would the normal American know what we are and what we are not?"
Still, the community's progress is evident by the day's roster, which included
some of New Jersey's political heavy hitters: Governor Corzine, U.S. Sen. Bob
Menendez and Attorney General Stuart Rabner.
Local politicians included Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney, state Sen.
Loretta Weinberg, D-Teaneck, and Assembly members Valerie Huttle and Gordon
Johnson, both Englewood Democrats.
Those who spoke extended a hand to the community, saying they're doing their
part to protect the group's civil liberties and to help them reach the American
dream.
"There is far too much intolerance, too much violence, too much rejection of
peace in our society. The events that delayed this morning captured that,"
Corzine said to the hundreds who attended the brunch. After his speech, he
maintained that his administration has helped give the community voice by
appointing Muslims to various commissions.
The Arab-American community has learned, as has every other immigrant groups
before them, that readying voters is one way to earn the respect of
representatives, and financially support- ing candidates is crucial to make the
community's voice heard in the American political landscape.
"It would be unfair for us to say we've made tremendous progress, but the fact
is we've been more politically active and we've made milestones," said Aref
Assaf, president of the American Arab Forum, who pointed out the first Muslim
has been elected to Congress by voters in Minnesota. "We also have friends
outside the community saying welcome, join us in the American dream."
One of those friends is Menendez, a representative who has not endeared himself
to the community for some of his stances, including being a vocal opponent to a
Dubai company taking over U.S. ports. His more recent decisions have proved more
promising to the community, including a bill he recently helped introduce that
would ensure that Guantanamo Bay detainees are serving lawful sentences and
would bar obtaining information through torture.
"The interfaith effort is incredibly powerful," Menendez said of the brunch.
Other friends have proved themselves as supporters. Democratic Rep. Bill
Pascrellwas honored for his service to the community. His constituents in
Paterson make up the second-largest Arab-American community in the country.
"I think the more they're integrated into the community, and some people get
over the foolishness of perceptions, all the better," he said.
Getting people to understand the community is the key, many attendees of the
brunch said.
"We make a big deal about the differences between people, but really we have so
many things in common," said Ghazala Arshad, from Closter, who attended the
event hoping to become more involved in the community. "The differences should
be respected but we should celebrate values we share."
E-mail: sangha@northjersey.com
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