 The Arab American National Museum
Survey: Arab and Jewish Americans Human Rights in the US | 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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