Yasmine Taeb, FCNL Lobbyist for Human Rights and Civil Liberties, participated in a town hall panel and discussion on civic engagement hosted by the Next Wave Muslim Initiative (NWMI) on Sunday, February 12th.
Discussing how the American Muslim community can protect itself from hostile, discriminatory policies, such as the Trump administration’s recent executive order on immigration and refugees, speakers emphasized the importance of thoughtful, persistent political engagement. In addition to listing concrete actions that community members can take, panelists discussed strategies for engaging with leaders whose policies are diametrically opposed to one’s own values and beliefs. They also discussed the importance of working in partnership with other communities affected by bigotry and discrimination.
The panel, moderated by NWMI co-founder Tannaz Haddadi, also featured Iman Awad, former administrative director in the office of Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley; Zaki Barzinji, former White House liason to Muslim Americans; Adnan Mohamed, a staffer in the office of Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA); and Manar Waheed, former Deputy Policy Director for Immigration at the White House Domestic Policy Council.
Speakers named a broad range of ways that community members can engage, from organizing town hall meetings to running for positions on local commissions. “Even if it seems daunting to run for public office,” Taeb said, “just making that initial plunge is so incredibly important.”
While she said that she herself had experienced death threats in response to her political engagement, Taeb declared that even this extreme form of Islamophobia “should never deter us from running.”
Despite potential concerns about being manipulated or used as “token Muslims,” panelists agreed that it can be valuable to engage with leaders with whom one vehemently disagrees. Speakers agreed that it is best to engage only when one’s potential for influence outweighs the likelihood of being used to advance someone else’s political agenda. At the same time, they emphasized that advocates often disagree on the best ways to engage and that harping on these differences can lead to unnecessary divisions among groups pushing for the same policies.
Finally, panelists discussed the need for unity and cooperation among diverse communities impacted by bigotry and discriminatory policies. Providing a concrete example of this kind of collaboration, Taeb described a rally she had organized in partnership with immigrant rights groups CASA Maryland and United We Dream. Both organizations focus largely on the needs of the US Latino community and defending the rights of Dreamers.
“It’s important for us to show that we stand up for other communities when they’re being attacked,” Taeb said. “We need to make it very clear that we stand up for the dignity and rights of all Americans.”
