www.usip.org

1200 17th Street NW • Washington, DC 20036 • 202.457.1700 • fax 202.429.6063

Special Report 159 February 2006

United States Institute of Peace

Special Report

The views expressed in this report do not necessarily 

reflect the views of the United States Institute of Peace, 

which does not advocate specific policy positions.

Contents 

Introduction 2

Overview of American Muslim Nongovernmental l 

 Organizations 2

Pew Research Study on Islamic Extremism 4

National Fatwa Condemning Terrorism 4

Religious and Interfaith Organizations 5

Civic and Political Organizations 9

Legal Organizations 15 

Views of American Muslim Scholars 16

Conclusion: Multipronged Conflict Prevention 17

About the Report

With the war against terrorism and an increased 

attention on the Muslim world, this report analyzes 

ways Muslims in the United States understand their 

roles as Americans in combating terrorism and their 

unique contributions toward conflict prevention 

and peacemaking. The assimilation and integration 

of American Muslims has effectively enabled the 

flourishing of dozens of national and regional 

organizations to work in areas of civil rights, human 

rights, interfaith dialogue, education, charity, public 

diplomacy, political activism, and other religious and 

secular activities. Despite the post 9/11 scrutiny 

of the Muslim community, American Muslim groups 

have devised sophisticated grassroots campaigns on 

counter-terrorism and anti-extremist ideology. 

Qamar-ul Huda is the Senior Program Officer in the 

Religion and Peacemaking Program at the United 

States Institute of Peace. Formerly a professor of 

Islamic Studies and Comparative Theology at Boston 

College, he examines ethics, violence, conflict 

resolution and nonviolence in juristic and nonjuristic 

Muslim authorities in contemporary Islam. This report 

is part of a larger book project on American Muslim 

identity formation and Islamic approaches toward 

mediation and peacebuilding.

Qamar-ul Huda

The Diversity of Muslims 

in the United States 

Views as Americans

Summary

•	 There are approximately 6 to 7.5 million Muslims in the United States who identify 

themselves as Americans. The community consists of a combination of immigrants 

and second- and third-generation Arab, Latino, Asian, European, African, and AfricanAmerican Muslims.

• The growth of the American Muslim community has fostered the development of a 

variety of religious, civic, political, cultural, economic, social, ethnic, feminist, artistic, and professional organizations.

• The diversity of American Muslim organizations provides a vast number of voices 

addressing such issues as terrorism, democracy, peacemaking, and human rights.

• American Muslims do not see contradictions between Islam and such ideals as democracy, pluralism, or political activism; rather, in recent years several national groups 

have made it their primary mission to reconcile all three with Islamic values.

• Some leaders see the blending of Islamic values with the American experience as 

a solid bridge to mutual understanding between the United States and the Muslim 

world. 

• American Muslim advocacy organizations often collaborate with the White House and 

law enforcement authorities to devise strategies on public policy, civil rights, the war 

against terrorism, and other related issues. 

• Many organizations emphasize the importance of self-scrutiny and education in relation to the larger Islamic heritage. 

•	 Interfaith dialogue has taken the forefront on the agendas of many American Muslim 

organizations, demonstrating a belief that building trust, peace, and reconciliation 

will ultimately lead to harmonious interfaith relations in the United States. 

• American Muslim scholars advocate greater involvement by Muslims in the political, 

social, economic, and cultural spheres of American society. 
About the Institute

The United States Institute of Peace is an independent, nonpartisan federal institution created 

by Congress to promote the prevention, management, and peaceful resolution of international 

conflicts. Established in 1984, the Institute meets 

its congressional mandate through an array of 

programs, including research grants, fellowships, 

professional training, education programs from 

high school through graduate school, conferences 

and workshops, library services, and publications. 

The Institute’s Board of Directors is appointed by 

the President of the United States and confirmed 

by the Senate.

Board of Directors

J. Robinson West (Chair), Chairman, PFC Energy, Washington, D.C. • María Otero (Vice Chair), President, ACCION 

International, Boston, Mass. • Betty F. Bumpers, Founder 

and former President, Peace Links, Washington, D.C. • 

Holly J. Burkhalter, Director of U.S. Policy, Physicians 

for Human Rights, Washington, D.C. • Chester A. 

Crocker, James R. Schlesinger Professor of Strategic 

Studies, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University 

• Laurie S. Fulton, Partner, Williams and Connolly, 

Washington, D.C. • Charles Horner, Senior Fellow, Hudson 

Institute, Washington, D.C. • Seymour Martin Lipset, 

Hazel Professor of Public Policy, George Mason University 

• Mora L. McLean, President, Africa-America Institute, 

New York, N.Y. • Barbara W. Snelling, former State 

Senator and former Lieutenant Governor, Shelburne, Vt.

Members ex officio

Michael M. Dunn, Lieutenant General, U.S. 

Air Force; President, National Defense University • 

Barry F. Lowenkron, Assistant Secretary of State for 

Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor • Peter W. Rodman,

Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security 

Affairs • Richard H. Solomon, President, United States 

Institute of Peace (nonvoting)

• American Muslim scholars believe Muslims have an enormous responsibility and talent 

for resolving conflict and being agents for peace. 

Introduction

With recent attention on European Muslims in France, Belgium, Germany as well as with 

the London bombings of July 7, 2005, there is a focus on how Western Muslims integrate, 

assimilate, and contribute to society. This Special Report examines how American Muslims 

have expressed themselves as Americans in a post 9/11 world of suspicion. In doing 

so, this study analyzes different, major American Muslim organizations’ activities and 

their distinguishing views on violence, terrorism, and conflict resolution. The objective 

of this Special Report is to identify key trends in American Muslim organizations; their 

major religious and secular activities, as well as understand the ways in which American 

Muslims are carving out a distinct American identity as citizens. This report demonstrates 

that unlike Muslims in Europe, American Muslims do not feel marginalized, isolated, or 

locked out of political participation. Social-economic mobility is far more obtainable. For 

the most part, American Muslims have successfully created professional, cultural, human 

rights, civil rights, educational, and political organizations as an expression of feeling 

included in the larger spectrum of American society and liberal democracy. The analysis 

presented here illustrates that American Muslims’ contribution to the United States is a 

product not only of their own diversity, but also of the diversity of views in understanding 

themselves as Americans. 

American Muslims face a range of challenges to which Muslim organizations are 

responding. After 9/11, American Muslims have had to confront widespread suspicion, 

challenges to civil liberties, a Muslim-specific response to Muslim radicalism (domestically 

and internationally), and the war on terrorism. In doing so, Muslim and Arab Americans 

have created a variety of new organizations and invigorated existing ones. The material 

in this report describes and analyzes the programmatic responses of key American Muslim 

organizations to these challenges. In addressing these challenges, these organizations 

walk a fine line between reassuring the American public about Muslims and Islam, while 

not alienating their constituents on issues important to them.

Overview of American Muslim Nongovernmental Organizations 

The American Muslim community consists of a wide range of ethnic, racial, cultural, and 

professional groups, all of which contribute immensely diverse opinions on contemporary 

issues, such as conflict and peacemaking. With the war in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as 

the implementation of the Patriot Act, American Muslims no longer play an undefined role 

in American policy; rather, many political analysts and congressional representatives are 

seeking them out as sources of information. In the aftermath of 9/11, American Muslim 

organizations became critical consultants for U.S. foreign policies toward Afghanistan 

and Iraq. In addition to offering policy analysis, several American Muslim organizations 

have made it a priority to work with law enforcement agencies in identifying intolerant 

attitudes within the Muslim community. Some American Muslim organizations created in 

the wake of 9/11 have a stated mission to support the armed forces unconditionally in 

order to defeat the global threat of terrorism. Other organizations have devised alternative 

strategies, such as fostering interfaith dialogue and examining ways to reconcile Islam 

with democracy in Muslim societies as a means of dealing with violence and promoting 

peacemaking. 

The rich diversity of the American Muslim community illustrates that there is no single 

response or approach to confronting contemporary issues, such as civil and human rights vio-
lations, religious intolerance, and domestic violence. There are several religious organizations

—both Sunni and Shia—dedicated to the spiritual development and religious life of 

American Muslims. Some prominent national civil rights groups based in Washington, D.C. 

are committed to the protection of American Muslim civil rights and interests. Several 

American Muslim legal organizations are also working toward increasing Muslims’ legal 

knowledge and expertise to help them develop greater awareness of the American judicial 

system and the opportunities with democratic institutions. There are human rights and 

feminist organizations devoted to improving the lives of women by battling domestic 

violence in the United States and abroad. Several, new American Muslim organizations are 

devoted to combining education and activism in order to foster identity, promote social 

justice, achieve gender equality, and create a more meaningful interpretation of their 

Islamic beliefs. Some recently formed groups believe that interfaith dialogue with Christians and Jews on both local and national levels is critical to understanding their religion 

within a monotheistic tradition. Some organizations believe that for Muslims to be truly 

Americans, they must be active partners in U.S. efforts to eliminate global terrorism and 

radicalism, including anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of bigotry. 

The Pew Research Center for the People conducted a survey immediately following the 

London bombings that indicated that 55 percent of Americans had favorable opinions of 

American Muslims, an increase from 45 percent in March 2001. The report showed that 

there was considerably less hostility toward Muslims in the United States and Europe than 

four years previously. Simultaneously, the survey showed that in predominantly Muslim 

societies, support for acts of terrorism in defense of Islam had vastly declined. 

Shortly after the London bombings, the National Fiqh Council of North America, an 

American Muslim group concerned with Islamic jurisprudence, issued an extraordinary 

fatwa (a nonbinding legal opinion) condemning all forms of extremism, terrorism, and any 

destruction of property or human life, and it specifically called the perpetrators “criminals.” The fatwa stated that it is forbidden for any Muslim to cooperate with individuals 

or groups involved with violence, and it is Muslims’ civic and religious duty to support law 

enforcement efforts to protect the lives of all civilians. 

The American Muslim community faces a complex set of challenges and debates after 

the 9/11 attacks. Even during a climate of Muslim suspicion, most American Muslims favor 

political involvement and are open to being involved in civil society institutions. While 

the community cannot be categorized as conservative or liberal, there is increasing participation in local activities, such as school boards, parent-teacher associations, interfaith 

programs, city councils, and chambers of commerce, compared to a decade ago. Also with 

the Patriot Act, stricter immigration regulations, greater surveillance over their religious 

and charitable institutions, and the Christian religious right discriminatory statements 

against Islam created instant challenges for American Muslims to develop coalitions and 

partnerships with law enforcement, politicians, and other organizations. 

A decade ago, most studies on American Muslims simplistically categorized American 

Muslims into two groups: immigrants and converts. It was common for these studies to 

classify the American Muslims as a community in “diaspora”—referring to their nonindigenous and foreign origins. However, American Muslims are far more complex than 

the essential ethnic categories of Arab-American, African-American, or Turkish-American. 

These ethnic categories may capture a certain aspect of ethnic origins, but they miss 

the trend of American Muslims using alternative identities to express themselves. Over 

the past decade, or more, the emergence of Islamic centers, Islamic schools, communitybased groups, social service and charitable organizations, public advocacy associations, 

political parties, professional associations, and research organizations have all contributed to multiple identities that go beyond a one-dimensional ethnic identity. American 

Muslims, like many Americans, have an amalgamation of identities—some have religious 

meaning; while others are linked to the variety of activities in which they are involved. 

The diversity of American Muslim organizations demonstrates an interesting mosaic 

of perspectives on, opinions about, and approaches to being an American and the roles 

The analysis presented here 

illustrates that American Muslims’ 

contribution to the United States 

is a product not only of their own 

diversity, but also of the diversity 

of views in understanding 

themselves as Americans.

The Pew Research Center for the 

People conducted a survey 

immediately following the London 

bombings that indicated that 55 

percent of Americans had favorable 

opinions of American Muslims, an 

increase from 45 percent in 

March 2001.

While the community cannot 

be categorized as conservative 

or liberal, there is increasing 

participation in local activities, 

such as school boards, parentteacher associations, interfaith 

programs, city councils, and 

chambers of commerce, compared to a decade ago. 
of Muslims in conflict prevention and resolution. National umbrella organizations have 

endeavored to integrate all the ethnic and racial Muslim communities as a way to bring 

all groups together based on common issues. There is an overwhelming consensus within 

American Muslim organizations to promote mutual understanding through interfaith dialogue, political participation, education, activism, charity, public diplomacy, and an awareness of civil rights. American Muslim organizations, both religious and secular, contribute a 

distinctive voice to the national conversation on conflict prevention and terrorism. 

Pew Research Study on Islamic Extremism

Conducted between July 7, 2005 (the day of the first terrorist attacks in London) and 

July 17, 2005, the Pew Research Center for the People survey, Islamic Extremism: Common Concern for Muslim and Western Publics, reported that the number of Americans who 

believe Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence fell noticeably, from 

44 percent in 2003 to 36 percent in 2005. A majority of Americans (55 percent) said they 

have a favorable opinion of American Muslims. That figure is significantly higher than the 

45 percent holding favorable views in March 2001, prior to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 

 The Pew Global Attitudes Project, a seventeen-nation, 17,000-respondent global attitudes survey, found that the majority of Muslims believe radicalism poses a threat to the 

stability of their respective countries. There is very little agreement among Muslims on the 

causes of extremism; however, 38 percent of survey participants in Pakistan and 39 percent 

in Morocco pointed to poverty, severe economic disparities, and joblessness; 35 percent in 

Indonesia thought immorality was the primary cause; and 34 percent in Turkey attributed 

extremism to lack of education. However, in the more pluralistic nations of Jordan and 

Lebanon, respectively 38 percent and 40 percent cited U.S. policies as the primary cause 

of Islamic extremism. 

The most important part of the Pew study shows that support for acts of terrorism in 

defense of Islam has declined immensely among Muslims overseas. In the past three years, 

support for terrorism fell in Lebanon from 73 percent to 39 percent, in Indonesia from 27 

percent to 15 percent, and in Pakistan from 33 percent to 25 percent. In just the past year 

in Morocco, it declined from 40 percent to 13 percent. 

Even in a post 9/11 world and with the uncertainties in the war against terrorism, there 

are favorable views of Muslims in most countries in Europe and North America. Hostility 

toward Muslims is actually much lower in the United States and in Canada than in Great 

Britain and other Western countries surveyed. Some have argued that rather than being 

isolated, both Sunni and Shia American Muslim organizations have facilitated an understanding with other Americans through active participation in the political arena with a 

coalition of grassroots community organizations.

National Fatwa Condemning Terrorism

The Fiqh Council of North America: U.S. Muslim Religious Council Fatwa Against 

Terrorism (religious/Islamic law)

As noted, on July 27, 2005, the Fiqh Council of North America, an American Muslim group 

concerned with Islamic jurisprudence, issued an historic fatwa, a nonbinding legal opinion, that condemned terrorism and religious extremism. The fatwa stated:

“Islam strictly condemns religious extremism and the use of violence against 

innocent lives. There is no justification in Islam for extremism or terrorism. 

Targeting civilians’ life and property through suicide bombings or any other 

method of attack is forbidden—and those who commit these barbaric acts are 

criminals, not martyrs.”

There is an overwhelming consensus within American Muslim 

organizations to promote mutual 

understanding through interfaith 

dialogue, political participation, 

education, activism, charity, public 

diplomacy, and an awareness of 

civil rights.

“Targeting civilians’ life and property through suicide bombings 

or any other method of attack is 

forbidden—and those who commit 

these barbaric acts are criminals, 

not martyrs.”

—Fiqh Council of North 

American Fatwa
The sixteen-member panel of the Fiqh Council is composed of mainly Sunni scholars 

who traditionally comment on religious and secular life. The fatwa quoted the famous 

Koranic passage 5:32, which states, “Whoever kills a person unjustly, it is as though he 

has killed all of humanity. And whoever saves a life, it is as though he has saved all of 

humanity.”

Almost two weeks after the London bombings of July 7, 2005, and an astonishing 

number of suicide bombings around the same time in Iraq, the U.S. fatwa asserted concisely that (1) all acts of terrorism targeting civilians are forbidden in Islam; (2) it is 

forbidden for a Muslim to cooperate with any individual or group involved in any act of 

terrorism or violence; and (3) it is the civic and religious duty of Muslims to cooperate 

with law enforcement authorities to protect the lives of all civilians.

A scholar of jurisprudence usually writes and issues a fatwa to respond to contemporary disputed issues and the related legal challenges. The scholar must be grounded in 

the classical legal systems of thinking and be cognizant of the legal histories surrounding 

the issues. Unlike papal edicts from the Roman Catholic Church, a fatwa does not commit 

Muslims to the scholar’s legal opinion; rather, it can be viewed as a dialogue between the 

scholar and the American Muslim community at large. The social and political function 

of the American fatwa means these legal-religious and societal issues are not only critical 

for the community, but in this instance leading American Muslim scholars are asserting 

their authority on the topic of conflict and terrorism. This articulated declaration is a 

demonstration that American Muslims are defining and affirming an unambiguous position on conflict prevention and terrorism—a position carefully constructed in a post 9/11 

atmosphere. Two hundred American Muslim organizations and mosques supported the 

historic fatwa of July 2005, the first of its kind to assemble a consensus on such a grand 

scale. It concluded by affirming, 

Although the fatwa urged the importance of the illegality and nontraditional nature 

of terrorism and extremism in Islam, some American Muslim critics felt it did not go far 

enough in identifying Osama bin Laden and his associates as terrorists. Muslim critics 

argued the fatwa was merely a symbol to demonstrate publicly the Fiqh Council’s positions 

on the issues of violence and terrorism. Further, they wished the fatwa had used fewer 

scriptural references and shown a more contemporary global understanding of terrorism 

and the sociopolitical context of violence. Instead of issuing such statements as “God 

mandates moderation in faith and in all aspects of life,” many American Muslim critics 

said the Fiqh Council needed to address specifically issues of discrimination, injustice, and 

social and political inequality, and to express ideas that actually touch people’s daily lives. 

This fatwa, like all legal opinions, was written to respond to a particular concern, but it 

also produced a vibrant debate within the American Muslim community. 

Religious and Interfaith Organizations

Islamic Society of North America (religious)

The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) is the national Sunni association of Muslim 

organizations that provides a common platform for presenting Islam, supporting Muslim 

communities, and developing educational, social, and outreach programs, such as interfaith dialogue. ISNA’s headquarters is located in Plainfield, Indiana, where they feel a 

“We issue this fatwa following the guidance of our scripture, the Qur’an, and the 

teachings of our Prophet Muhammad—peace be upon him. We urge all people 

to resolve all conflicts in just and peaceful manners. We pray for the defeat of 

extremism and terrorism. We pray for the safety and security of our country, the 

United States, and its people. We pray for the safety and security of all inhabitants 

of our planet. We pray that interfaith harmony and cooperation prevail both in the 

United States and all around the globe.”
comfortable fit in rural America. The combination of interfaith activities and charitable 

activities has made ISNA successful in integrating Muslims in the heart of the American 

social fabric. A major supporter of the fatwa issued in late July 2005 and one of the primary religious Islamic organizations in the United States, ISNA objectives include providing leadership and religious training to religious leaders (imams), developing community 

programs, educating young Muslims in religion, and expanding interfaith programs. 

The annual ISNA Convention, convened during Labor Day weekend, is the largest 

gathering of Muslims in North America. This convention brings together more than 40,000 

attendees, including individuals, families, businesses, scholars, nonprofit organizations, 

dignitaries, and people of other faiths. The attendee demographics encompass a wide 

spectrum of professions and backgrounds. The convention provides an opportunity to listen to and interact with eminent Muslim scholars and leaders and to meet and exchange 

views with Muslims and people of other faiths. In addition, ISNA holds regional conferences in different cities throughout the United States and Canada on subjects such as 

“The Islamic Education Forum,” “Muslims Against Domestic Violence,” “Muslims on the 

Information-Highway,” and “Islam in America.” 

Viewed as the mainstream Sunni Islam group, ISNA was one of the leading American 

Muslim groups to voice criticism against Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney when he 

suggested in September 2005 that there be a national surveillance program of mosques 

instituted in the United States. American Muslim critics have repeatedly stated that 

ISNA’s focus on religious and interreligious programs isolates them from critical issues 

like civil rights, public policy, immigration enforcement, and the war on terrorism. ISNA’s 

deliberate refusal to engage in these areas has led to serious criticisms of their overall 

leadership role in the American Muslim community.

Shiite Islam in America

Overall, the American Shia community is a minority within the Muslim community, and 

it has experienced major transformations over the past two decades. Often faced with 

religious stereotypes and misunderstanding of Shiite Islam, the American Muslim Shia 

community consists of a diverse group from East Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and 

Europe. Shia Muslim Americans form small centers called jamaats where religious services 

and educational programs are conducted. 

The North American Shia Ithna-Asheri Muslim Communities (religious)

The largest umbrella group for Shia Muslims is called the North American Shia IthnaAsheri Muslim Communities (NASIMCO) and is an example of creating a central authority. 

NASIMCO formed the Islamic Education Board in order to have standardized books for 

religious schools. They also publish resources on Shia history and theology. The organization’s website provides a database for research and maintains a calendar for Shia events. 

In 1994, the Council of Shia Muslim Scholars in North America was created as a central 

body of Shia American Muslim religious leaders, also known as imams. 

Another important American Shia Muslim institution is the Imam Al-Khoei Foundation 

in New York, named after the famous Iraqi Shia philanthropist and scholar. In the United 

States, the Al-Khoei Foundation is a leading Shia Muslim institution that has a full-time 

accredited school from kindergarten through twelfth grades, and it conducts all religious 

rituals relating to Shiism in Urdu, Persian, Arabic, and English. 

Both NASIMCO and the Al-Khoei Foundation maintain that violence, terrorism against 

noncombatants, and all types of extremist attitudes are illegal in Islamic law. With a 

hierarchical clerical class, trained jurists can only decide legal reinterpretations of war. 

NASIMCO, the Al-Khoei Foundation, and other Shia organizations feel that there is a gross 

misunderstanding of Shia Islamic beliefs and practices, and global politics more often 

eschew the essential teachings of their faith. 

The combination of interfaith 

activities and charitable activities has made ISNA successful in 

integrating Muslims in the heart 

of the American social fabric.
Zaytuna Institute (religious/Islamic law)

Zaytuna Institute was founded in 1996 by Hamza Yusuf and Hesham Alalusi and incorporated in 1998 in Hayward, California. Zaytuna Institute is an educational organization 

established to revive classical training in Islamic jurisprudence and in Koranic studies in 

order create a new generation of American Muslims to build upon the intellectual history 

of Islam. Zaytuna Institute adheres to the idea that American Muslims need to reconnect 

with the heritage of Islam in order to gain a holistic and comprehensive understanding of 

the world. The Institute believes that Muslims will become enlightened citizens through 

engagement with and critical study of Islamic texts. According to Zaytuna Institute’s 

beliefs, one of the many illnesses in American society is disillusionment with the relativism, nihilism, and materialism of modern life that have created spiritually empty lives for 

many people. The Institute hopes education will fulfill the lives of American Muslims.

Hamza Yusuf was one of the many American Muslim leaders the White House consulted 

after 9/11 as a way of fostering tolerance and dispelling the fears of American Muslims 

about the rising backlash. Zaytuna Institute has aggressively condemned terrorism and 

sectarian violence in the Middle East and around the globe. It believes terrorism arises 

from individuals who have very little or no knowledge of Islamic ethics and religious principles and are misusing the religion for their own political agendas. 

Zaytuna Institute believes the appropriate way for American Muslims to combat extremist ideologies is to recognize the level of ignorance that dominates their understanding 

of faith and the world. For the Zaytuna Institute, the struggle is to study, to examine 

oneself, and to connect with the diversity of religious ethics as guidance. Knowledge in 

itself is not the goal; instead, the purpose is to obtain wisdom from sacred scriptures and 

to learn from past and present eminent scholars. Their understanding of terrorism differs 

from typical political, social, economical, and ideological analysis; whereby, they view terrorism as a belief of ignorant nihilism as better than life. For them the best way to counter 

terrorism is to restore order with enlightened, broad-based, pluralistic, and tolerant education in order to cultivate values of citizenship. Major issues, such as economic injustice, 

racism, the oppression of women, classism, totalitarianism, and the lack of freedom of 

expression are all part of manipulating the natural order. The Institute believes human 

illnesses can be treated only through healing the hearts of humanity with spiritual truths 

and an understanding of the true purpose of existence. Zaytuna Institute’s mission is to 

establish a leading educational institution for the cultivation of intelligent, open-minded 

individuals who are grounded in the Islamic tradition in their response to terrorism and 

all types of injustice. 

American Society for Muslim Advancement (religious/interfaith)

ASMA’s mission is to build bridges with the Muslim and non-Muslim community through 

workshops, conferences, interfaith dialogues, and the arts. ASMA believes that American 

Muslim youth need to be empowered with a faith that is tolerant, forward-thinking, and 

develops a distinct American Muslim identity. Feisal Abdul Rauf, a prominent New York 

City imam, is the founder of the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA) and 

author of What’s Right with Islam: A New Vision for Muslims and The West (San Francisco: 

Harper San Francisco 2004). He has worked in the area of interfaith dialogue not only 

nationally but also with interreligious organizations in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and 

Australia. According to Imam Feisal: “Dialogue between the religions offers the opportunity for uncovering the common ground of shared values and goals that resonate in each 

of our faiths, even as we clarify real differences. Dialogue within a religion offers the 

opportunity for its adherents to be amazed at real differences that can arise from shared 

theology and ritual.”

Since 9/11, Imam Feisal has been one of the most visible American Muslim leaders 

in speaking against terrorism and the misuse of religion to defend extremist ideologies. 

Zaytuna Institute adheres to the 

idea that American Muslims need 

to reconnect with the heritage of 

Islam in order to gain a holistic 

and comprehensive understanding 

of the world.

According to Imam Feisal: “Dialogue between the religions offers 

the opportunity for uncovering 

the common ground of shared 

values and goals that resonate 

in each of our faiths, even as we 

clarify real differences. Dialogue 

within a religion offers the opportunity for its adherents to be 

amazed at real differences that 

can arise from shared theology 

and ritual.”


He called the London terrorist attacks “crimes against humanity” and said, “We cry out 

against such violence and seek to console those who have suffered from it.” 

In December 2004, Imam Feisal spoke at a seminar entitled “Confronting Islamophobia: 

Education for Tolerance and Understanding” hosted by Shashi Tharoor, under secretarygeneral for communications and public information of the United Nations. Imam Feisal 

reiterated a famous hadith, or saying of the Prophet Muhammad, that the diversity of 

opinions is a blessing in his community, and explained how this saying not only advocates 

tolerance, but also mandates that Muslims understand traditions other than their own. He 

added that there need to be interlocutors in the American Muslim community to work with 

other religious traditions to communicate Muslims’ fears, hopes, and aspirations in order 

to engage each other in peaceful ways. Imam Feisal said that Islamophobia is an awful 

experience to live with; however, there is an opportunity to learn from Jewish and Catholic 

communities that have handled severe prejudices in the last century. 

Cordoba Initiative (religious/interfaith)

The Cordoba Initiative is a unique multifaith organization and an affiliate of ASMA that 

strives toward healing the relationship between the Islamic World and the United States. 

Named after the great medieval Spanish city known for its pluralism and religious tolerance, members of the Cordoba Initiative believe intercultural understanding and sincere 

educational programs will stimulate creative thinking on peace in the Middle East. The Cordoba Initiative has cooperated with Christian and Jewish religious leaders to examine the 

underlying roots of cultural intolerance and violence. Moving beyond descriptive analysis of 

political violence, the Initiative aspires to make an impact on religious self-understanding,

identity, and the treatment of others.

Daisy Khan of the Cordoba Initiative stated that there is a real need for Muslims in 

America to accept their enormous responsibility to forge new creative thinking about 

religion, peace, and violence. She asserted that the freedom of thought and expression lacking in most predominantly Muslim cultures means there is a greater burden on 

American Muslims to work toward reforming these oppressive societies. In a short time, 

the Cordoba Initiative has been successful in bringing together younger Muslim scholars, 

activists, businesspersons, artists, physicians, and others from around the world to engage 

in serious scrutiny of their Islamic identity and tradition. Khan believes that freedom of 

expression allows American Muslims an incredible amount of space in which to be creative 

with their religious self-understanding, and this process is connected to helping Muslims 

self-discover their own meaning.

International Islamic Conference on True Islam and Its Role in Modern Society

In July 2005, both Imam Feisal’s and Khan’s groups attended the historic “International 

Islamic Conference on True Islam and Its Role in Modern Society” in Amman, Jordan, held 

by His Majesty King Abdullah II. The conference produced a final declaration of more than 

180 scholars representing forty-five countries—supported by fatwas garnered beforehand 

from seventeen of the world’s major Islamic scholars, including Shaykh Al-Azhar, Grand 

Ayatollah al-Sistani, and Sheikh Yusef Al-Qaradawi. The scholars unanimously condemned 

the practice known as takfir, calling others “apostates,” which extremists use to justify 

violence. The Amman meeting also recognized the legitimacy of all eight of the traditional 

schools of Islamic religious law from the Sunni, Shiite and Ibadi branches of Islam, and 

identified their common theologies, ethics, principles, and beliefs. It defined the necessary 

qualifications and conditions for issuing fatwas, thereby exposing the illegitimacy of the 

so-called ones that justify terrorism and are in clear violation of Islam’s core principles.

The Amman conference was successful in bringing both Sunni and Shiite leaders from 

around the globe to cooperate against the rising tide of extremism. The King of Jordan 

will sponsor a subsequent conference titled “The Iraqi Islamic Reconciliation Summit,” 

which will engage Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani and major Iraqi Sunni scholars in discuss-
ing sectarian violence and intrafaith dialogue in Islam. This is an example of American 

Muslim leaders’ gradual involvement with the affairs of the larger Muslim world and view 

that their work can go beyond local and national issues. The significance of American 

Muslims engaging in the religious, political, and social affairs of global Muslim politics 

demonstrates aspirations to contribute to global affairs and to express a distinct position 

and identity from the global Muslim community.

American Muslims Intent on Learning and Activism (religious, social activism)

American Muslims Intent on Learning and Activism (AMILA, which means “to work” or 

“to act” in Arabic) is a well-known, California-based organization that builds community through activism, Islamic education, spirituality, and networking with other groups. 

AMILA’s goals are to develop a community that helps each member to grow spiritually, 

to foster brotherhood and sisterhood, and to cultivate a greater divine consciousness. 

Recognized by many American Muslim leaders as one of the nation’s most dynamic Muslim 

organizations, AMILA is entering its second decade as an influential voice among young 

American Muslims. 

Founded by second-generation American Muslims born and raised in the San Francisco 

Bay Area of northern California, AMILA has an introspective and undogmatic approach 

to religion. AMILA provides its members an array of events and groups, such as inviting 

Muslim and non-Muslim intellectuals to their lecture series, study groups, book clubs, and 

annual Ramadan spiritual retreats. AMILA has remarkably cultivated over five new cycles 

of elected leaders, both men and women. AMILA’s inclusive message has bridged the differences between Muslims of different ethnic and ideological backgrounds by including 

Sunnis, Shiites, Sufis, African-Americans, and converts. 

The organization stands adamantly against any and all acts of terrorism and any use of 

violence. AMILA views the outer conflict of terrorism as a mirror reflection of the complex 

social and political inequities that exist in Muslim societies. One critical response to eliminating terrorism is to focus on education and activism that will aid in bringing spiritual 

awareness and harmony to others. The lifelong process of learning and activism binds the 

members to one another, thereby helping them develop a strong sense of community. 

Relying on the skills of its members with computer expertise, AMILA uses cyberspace 

and the media for coalition building with non-Muslim organizations, both secular and 

religious. AMILA has collaborated with groups on a “Walk for Remembrance and Peace,” 

promoted a cultural and philanthropic program regarding Islamic art fairs, sponsored a 

multi-faith event called “Eid Festival for Everyone,” and sponsored a biannual gift drive for 

hundreds of children in the Bay Area for the Muslim holidays. AMILA is at the forefront of 

forging an American Muslim identity that begins with communal faith building and fosters 

respect for the diversity of beliefs both within Islam and from other traditions. Increasing 

spirituality and Islamic knowledge has been a major emphasis in AMILA. Besides inviting 

speakers for monthly meetings, AMILA has sponsored intensive study groups on topics 

such as “The Science of the Qur’an” and “The Concept of Worship in Islam.” 

Civic and Political Organizations

Muslim Public Affairs Council (civic/political)

One of the supporters of the fatwa was the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), which, 

since 1988, has been working for the civil rights of American Muslims and a constructive 

relationship between American Muslims and their political representatives. MPAC promotes 

an American Muslim identity by fostering grassroots activities and by training a future 

generation of Muslim activists in the political process. MPAC is committed to the understanding that empowering the community requires educating individuals with the skills 

The significance of American 

Muslims engaging in the religious, 

political, and social affairs of 

global Muslim politics demonstrates 

aspirations to contribute to global 

affairs and to express a distinct 

position and identity from the 

global Muslim community.
necessary for them to be effective American citizens. In addition, MPAC tries to encourage an accurate portrayal of Muslims and of Islam in mass media and popular culture by 

educating the American public about diversity within the tradition. 

MPAC initiated a “National Grassroots Campaign to Fight Terrorism” that consists of 

the endorsement and participation of over 600 mosques and Muslim institutions across 

the country. MPAC’s “National Grassroots Campaign to Fight Terrorism” has three essential 

components: (1) enlighten religious awareness and education within the American Muslim 

community, stressing a zero-tolerance policy on terrorism or the suicidal destruction of 

human life or property; (2) protect mosques and Muslim institutions from external forces 

that wish to exploit them; and (3) train community members on the necessary skills to 

detect potential criminal activities and work with local and federal law enforcement agencies. The campaign training manual states, “It is our duty as American Muslims to protect 

our country and to contribute to its betterment . . . Muslims should be at the forefront of 

preventing [terrorist] attacks from happening.” MPAC has seen a visible change with its 

“Campaign to Fight Terrorism,” particularly by holding regular town meetings and training 

sessions in American Muslim communities. 

In November 2002, MPAC testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on “An 

Assessment of Tools Needed to Fight the Financing of Terrorism.” As part of its ongoing 

efforts to protect the civil liberties of American Muslims, MPAC sponsored a variety of 

forums on topics that included the following: 

• “America’s Image in the Muslim World,”

• “Religious Freedom in the Muslim World,”

• “Nuclear Disarmament,” and

• “The Islamic Stand Against Terrorism.”

In the aftermath of 9/11, MPAC was flooded with reports of hate crimes and discrimination, which prompted creating a department specializing in victim assistance. By December 2001, MPAC had officially established its Hate Crimes Prevention Department and had 

partnered with Los Angeles County’s Hate Crime Victim Assistance and Advocacy Initiative 

to aid in victim assistance and hate crime prevention.

MPAC’s unambiguous position on terrorism, suicide bombings, and other illegal attacks 

on civilians and noncombatants has been its primary message to community leaders, the 

media, policymakers, and law enforcement officials. The organization aims to elucidate 

that global terrorism repulses American Muslims and that they could be active players in 

preventing attacks. As an important integral group in American pluralism and democracy, 

MPAC believes American Muslims must take on more civic duties to increase their presence 

in local and national discussions. 

In March 2005, MPAC held a “Muslim Policy Forum to Enhance Government-Muslim 

Dialogue” with members from national Muslim organizations and the Justice Department, including the assistant attorney general—Division for Civil Rights, and the Treasury 

Department. Stressing the need for Muslim charitable institutions to become more diligent 

in identifying funding sources, Salam Al-Marayati, executive director of MPAC, said, “The 

creation of [a] National Council is a historic step in the coordination of activities and 

responsibilities within the American Muslim nonprofit sector.” In response to the London 

attacks that year, MPAC organized young Muslim leaders across the country, including 

members of the national Muslim Students Association, to announce that they “condemn 

all acts of terrorism and the ideology of hatred that fuels them.” 

Council on American Islamic Relations (civic/political)

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is the nation’s largest Muslim civil 

rights and advocacy group, with regional offices nationwide and in Canada. The national 

headquarters, established in 1994, is located on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. After the 

10

The Muslim Public Affairs 

Council aims to enlighten religious 

awareness and education within 

the American Muslim community, 

stressing a zero-tolerance policy on 

terrorism or the suicidal destruction of human life or property as 

a part of its “National Grassroots 

Campaign to Fight Terrorism.”
1991 Persian Gulf War and before CAIR became a formalized organization, the founding 

members met informally to promote a positive image of Islam and Muslims in America 

by providing the media with accurate information on Islamic beliefs, practices, and cultures. It naturally progressed to work toward education and advocacy on behalf of the 

American Muslim community. In addition to promoting Muslim representation in politics, 

the media, and domestic policymaking groups, CAIR encourages American Muslims to be 

politically active and to take their civic duties seriously in American society.

Since its inception, CAIR has been aggressive in condemning all acts of violence 

against civilians by any individual, group, or state. After the 9/11 attacks, CAIR was one 

of the leading American Muslim organizations to collaborate with the White House on 

issues of safety and foreign policy. CAIR devised a plan on domestic policies that studied the problems of limiting civil rights, permitting racial, ethnic, or religious profiling, 

infringing on due process, and preventing American Muslims and others from participating fully in American civic life. For over three years, CAIR has been running a public 

service announcement called “Not in the Name of Islam,” which explicitly denounces 

Muslim extremism and advocates dialogue between faith communities both in America 

and worldwide. In response to the London bombings, CAIR’s urgent announcement 

stated, “We condemned the barbaric bombings and (we) join Americans of all faiths, and 

all people of conscience worldwide, in condemning these barbaric crimes that can never 

be justified or excused.”

CAIR has been a critical player in asking Congress to conduct civil liberties oversight 

hearings on the implementation of the Patriot Act and to ensure that activities truly 

target terrorism—not civil liberties. In December 2001, CAIR appeared before the U.S. 

Commission on Civil Rights to testify on 115 cases of employment discrimination following the 9/11 attacks. In January 2002, CAIR went before the Judiciary Committee in 

the House of Representatives to testify on the serious problems of racial and religious 

profiling faced by American Muslims, and it reported nearly 1,700 complaints from community members. 

Mohamed Nimer, the research director for CAIR and author of The North American 

Muslim Resource Guide, published a policy bulletin entitled “Islam, Democracy and American Muslims” that discusses the diversity of the American Muslim community in terms 

of ethnicity, religious observance, race, and socioeconomic class. The report noted that 

democratic practices in Muslim institutions are evident in their formal membership, the 

inclusion of women in leadership, the election of a board, the terms of leadership, the 

thoroughness of their constitutions, and their visionary statement for the community. The 

policy bulletin highlights how American Muslims have established faith-based and ethnicbased organizations; some promote educational and social organizations and businesses, 

while others, namely Islamic centers across the country, function on a multidimensional 

level. According to Nimer, “American Muslims embrace democratic change and value pluralism as principles consistent with Islamic teachings,” which are crucial ideas because 

“the blending of Islamic values with the American democratic experience can provide a 

solid bridge of understanding between America and the Muslim world.”

CAIR’s work in defending the civil rights of American Muslims has not come without 

criticism. Some advocacy groups believe CAIR’s criticism of American foreign policy, 

particularly on the Israel/Palestine conflict, is excessively one-sided. CAIR has been 

criticized as being too soft on Palestinian suicide bombers or hypercritical of Israel. Some 

critics are American Muslims themselves who disagree with CAIR’s positions on domestic 

and foreign policy issues and advocate an open exchange of ideas in the American Muslim 

community. Within academia, several American Muslim scholars have asserted that CAIR’s 

vision of Islam is essentialist, and their statements on Islamic beliefs are presented often 

as simplistic and dogmatic. In the midst of all types of criticism, CAIR maintains that 

their primary mission is to protect the civil rights of American Muslims and to provide 

accurate information on Islam.

11

For over three years, CAIR has 

been running a public service 

announcement called “Not in the 

Name of Islam,” which explicitly 

denounces Muslim extremism and 

advocates dialogue between faith 

communities both in America and 

worldwide.
12

American Muslim Alliance (civic/political)

The American Muslim Alliance (AMA) is a national civic organization determined to transform the American Muslim community by training and supporting Muslims in the U.S. 

political system. The organization is working toward three goals: (1) identifying Muslims 

who are capable of running for office in the U.S. Congress or a state’s legislature; (2) 

supporting qualified American Muslims elected as delegates to the Democratic and Republican state and national conventions; and (3) producing leaders for American mainstream 

politics. AMA views itself as taking active responsibility for U.S. homeland security, while 

simultaneously building coalitions with fellow Americans on a wide variety of social, 

political, economic, and moral issues. AMA is committed to the idea that political power 

is a result of a community’s efforts in areas of initiative, innovation, and determination. 

AMA believes the frustration of some American Muslims concerning U.S. foreign 

and domestic policy can be resolved in meaningful ways, such as by participating in a 

grassroots political process that relies on its citizens to articulate policy concerns. AMA 

supports workshops on volunteering with the office of a local representative, city council 

member, or state senator. AMA concentrates on political education, leadership training, 

campaign and issue analysis, developing political strategies, and gaining insight on policymaking decisions. As an organization, AMA issues endorsements and election advisories 

to educate Muslims about the candidates and the issues of concern.

On the topics of terrorism and senseless violence, AMA has consistently condemned 

these actions as baseless and horrific. AMA believes transforming present frustration and 

anger into constructive and meaningful action will empower the American Muslim community and will ultimately encourage its members to be more responsible citizens. One 

way of achieving this goal is to move beyond attempting to influence candidates and 

elected officials by actively participating in the American political system. At this time, 

AMA has ninety-eight chapters in thirty-one states and aspires to organize chapters in all 

fifty states and in each of the 435 congressional districts.

Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (political/research)

The Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) is a nonprofit organization, based 

in Washington, D.C., dedicated to studying Islamic and democratic political thought and 

to merging these two streams into a modern Islamic democratic discourse. Founded in 

1999, CSID consists of a diverse group of academics, professionals, and activists from 

all around the world who examine how democratic reform and liberal democracy can be 

institutionalized in the Muslim world. 

CSID’s primary objective is to conduct rigorous research on the principles of Western 

democracy and on Islamic principles of governance and law. CSID sponsors conferences, 

workshops, and training sessions in the Muslim world and holds its annual meeting in 

Washington, D.C. In 2005, the sixth annual conference had distinguished keynote speakers, such as Andrew Natsios, administrator of the United States Agency for International 

Development; Carl Gershman at the National Endowment for Democracy; Lorne Craner at 

the International Republican Institute; Michael Kozak at the Department of State; and 

Anwar Ibrahim, former prime minister of Malaysia and named CSID’s Muslim Democrat of 

the Year.

CSID has been proactive in denouncing all forms of terrorism and acts of violence. In 

response to the London bombings, CSID’s statement said, “These senseless acts are in 

complete violation of the basic moral and ethical principles of Islam and of other faith 

traditions, we maintain that there is absolutely no justification for them on any grounds.” 

Asma Afsaruddin, chair of CSID’s board and associate professor of Arabic and Islamic 

Studies at Notre Dame University, said, “CSID’s primary mission is to promote democratic, 

pluralistic societies in the Islamic world based on the teachings and intellectual heritage 

of Islam itself. It is absolutely crucial that we continue to investigate nonviolent means 

“CSID’s primary mission is to promote 

democratic, pluralistic societies in the 

Islamic world based on the teachings 

and intellectual heritage of Islam 

itself. It is absolutely crucial that we 

continue to investigate nonviolent 

means of neutralizing the rhetoric of 

the militants and seek solutions to 

some of the festering political 

problems that breed extremism.”

—Asma Afsaruddin

Chair of CSID
13

of neutralizing the rhetoric of the militants and seek solutions to some of the festering 

political problems that breed extremism.” 

Through its special reports and newsletter, titled The Muslim Democrat, CSID is active 

in conducting seminars and conferences in Muslim countries on the topics of human 

rights, democratic governance, Islamic law and democracy, women’s rights, and citizenship. CSID believes the best response to global terrorism is to transform authoritarian, 

closed societies—where there is no or very little freedom of expression, assembly, or 

representation—into open, mature, democratic, pluralistic institutions.

Free Muslims Coalition (political)

The Free Muslims Coalition (FMC) consists of American Muslims and Arab Americans who 

agree that the Muslim community needs to reject religious violence and terrorism. FMC 

was created after 9/11 to promote secular democratic institutions in the Middle East 

and in the Muslim world by supporting Islamic reformation efforts. For FMC, reformation 

entails a modern secular interpretation of religion that encourages peace, democracy, and 

the acceptance of other faith traditions, and in particular, an agreement that no single 

religious tradition should dominate the judicial, executive, and legislature branches of 

government. 

FMC clearly states that terrorism is a global threat and countering terrorism committed by Muslims is an ideological battle that cannot be won without the help of Muslims. 

According to FMC, “fundamentalist Islamic terror represents one of the most lethal threats 

to the stability of the civilized world. The existence of Islamic terrorists is the existence 

of threats to democracy. There is no room for terrorism in the modern world and the U.S. 

should take a no-tolerance stance on terrorism to avoid another tragedy.” 

Kamal Nawash, the president of FMC, has publicly supported the U.S. government’s 

efforts in fighting global terror, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Nawash said, 

“Our goal is to defeat and discredit the ideology that leads to extremism and support for 

terrorism.”

FMC has been severely criticized by other American Muslim organizations as aligning 

itself too closely with the U.S. administration and their aims in fighting global terrorism. 

FMC repudiates these criticisms and stands firm on eliminating what its members understand to be the global terrorist threat. In addition to its fervent antiterrorism message, 

FMC’s open statements call for an elimination of anti-Semitism. The organization feels it 

is the responsibility of all to speak out against intolerance and hatred. 

Muslims Against Terrorism (civic)

Immediately after 9/11, young American Muslim professionals formed Muslims Against 

Terrorism (MAT) in New York City. Horrified by the terrorist attacks and unimpressed by 

the attempts of local religious institutions to respond, MAT members initially focused their 

energies on working with the media with respect to American Muslim perspectives on 

violence, conflict, terrorism, and peacemaking. Their niche was in strengthening interfaith 

dialogues among New York City churches, synagogues, and temples. MAT’s outreach efforts 

extended to the New York City Public School system, major corporations on Wall Street, 

and local activist groups.

MAT contends that any and all terrorism, whether conducted by individuals or state 

actors, is immoral, and that there is no place for it in a civilized world. MAT members felt 

it was necessary to go beyond condemnations of terrorism to working with local, national, 

and international Muslim organizations on the complete intolerance of terrorism. As a 

relatively young and professional organization, MAT’s strength lay in highlighting the 

humanistic aspirations of all people and the need to understand the commonalities that 

unite all people. They wanted to counteract the fear that the 9/11 terrorist attacks had 

implicated all American Muslims and the Islamic religion in the heinous crimes, and, even 

worse, that there was scriptural evidence for legitimizing violence. In response to such 

“Our goal is to defeat and discredit 

the ideology that leads to extremism 

and support for terrorism.” 

—Kamal Nawash, president of Free

Muslims Coalition
14

attitudes, MAT worked toward outreach activities by talking about common American 

values. 

MAT’s primary mission was initially fundraising to provide assistance to the victims 

of terrorism. Its high-profile presence after 9/11 was intended to demonstrate its civic 

commitment to the United States and to play an active part in healing and reconciliation. 

The organization is interested in ensuring that younger American Muslims continue to be 

active in fighting terrorism.

American Islamic Forum for Democracy (political)

A physician, Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, and several Muslim professionals in the Phoenix Valley 

of Arizona formed the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD) in March of 2003. 

With the increased attention on the Muslim world and on the war against terrorism, Dr. 

Jasser felt American Muslims needed to act aggressively in fighting terrorism by building 

an anti-terror ethos in the Muslim community and by publicly denouncing religious leaders who preach intolerance. AIFD’s principal goals are to cultivate moderate, mainstream 

American Muslim voices on topics such as the separation of religion and state, which 

it believes is not contradictory to the ideals of Islam. Dr. Jasser is a former U.S. Navy 

Lieutenant Commander who served as a medical officer from 1988 to 1999. 

Dr. Jasser believes that Muslims around the globe need to have a public debate on 

hate, violence, terrorism, radicalism, and such fundamentalist ideologies as Wahhabism. 

Identifying Muslim terrorists as Islamo-fascists, AIFD believes at the “core of terror is 

simply a barbaric evil tactic in a war of ideologies and it is only the Muslims who hold 

the keys to the floodgates that can drown the militants.”

As Americans, AIFD members unconditionally support the armed forces. As citizens, 

they support their absolute pledge to the nation and to all of its national interests 

domestically and overseas. AIFD is committed to educating the public on the special 

relationship among Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. 

AIFD’s central goal is to defeat radicals who exploit the Muslim religion through 

militancy. AIFD views its goals as serving as a bridge between the West and the Muslim 

world by fighting terrorism and preventing the growth of radicalism. For many American 

Muslim critics, AIFD is too closely aligned with current foreign policies on fighting terrorism, and the organization has not seriously differentiated between the complexities 

of post-colonial Muslim societies and their various histories and economies that generate 

Islamic political activities. American Muslim critics believe AIFD is using the post 9/11 

climate of Muslim suspicion as an entry into politics and positioning itself with the Bush 

administration.

The Muslim Peace Fellowship (peace and justice)

The Muslim Peace Fellowship (MPF) has existed for more than twelve years and is based 

in Nyack, New York. MPF is committed to cultivating peace and justice in American society. MPF was founded on religious principles of resolving conflict by nonviolence, a focus 

it believes is grounded in Islamic ethics and scripture. MPF’s main concern is to teach 

the values of integrity and kindness that are based on Islamic teachings, a message it 

believes reveals the presence of the divine in all things.

In resolving conflict and establishing peace, MPF’s position is that there are no 

quick fixes that have lasting results; rather, the focus should be on the long-term goals 

of transforming the inner chaos of the individual toward true peace. MPF believes that 

both pious and nonobservant Muslims are obligated to address violence and terrorism on 

the individual level by asking, “What can I do to establish peace?” According to MPF, 

the work of building peace and preventing conflict should not be left up to experts or 

nongovernmental organizations. Instead, individuals need to reflect upon their personal 

responsibilities for creating a harmonious society. This demands concrete steps in one’s 

family and local community. 

AIFD views its goals as serving as 

a bridge between the West and the 

Muslim world by fighting terrorism 

and preventing the growth of 

radicalism. 
15

MPF’s goals in combating violence extend from the personal to the larger human 

family; ultimately, the injustice in each person and in their relationships tears apart 

communities around the globe. MPF believes that a deeper understanding of nonviolence 

teachings and ethics in Islam will enrich the lives of Muslims and their communities. 

Eradicating global terrorism is part of a larger struggle to eliminate the daily violence 

existing in each person. Violence and terrorism are manifestations of several inner layers 

of discontent, and it is these myriad levels of hostility that need to be understood before 

an earnest effort at reconciliation can begin. MPF believes its efforts to work on these 

issues with the American Muslim community and the larger American society will enhance 

mutual understanding and respect. 

Legal Organizations

National Association of Muslim Lawyers (secular, professional, legal)

The aim of the National Association of Muslim Lawyers (NAML) is to serve American Muslims, the general public, and the legal profession by promoting justice for all peoples as 

well as improvements in American laws and the American system of justice.

NAML believes a sustained involvement in American executive, legislative, and judicial 

decision-making processes is essential to the long-term prosperity and assimilation of 

Muslims into American society. The organization affirms that the community’s interests 

are best protected by those with an understanding of and respect for the law, legal 

processes, and the role of the legal profession in developing, enforcing, and changing 

the law. NAML promotes legal representation for Muslims and thereby promotes Muslims’ 

full, fair, and equal participation in American society overall. NAML also disseminates 

information on employment discrimination, harassment, gender, and civil rights, as well 

as religious, ethnic, and racial biases in the workplace. 

Since 9/11, NAML has been overextended with discrimination cases and racial incidents. In addition, the organization has created the “Transparency Project,” an initiative 

to encourage Muslim charitable institutions to implement operational guidelines and 

procedures that ensure compliance with law and increased transparency. The “Transparency Project” also assures donors that charitable institutions are in fact abiding by the 

law and adhering to their missions as charitable organizations. NAML believes expanding 

legal knowledge and expertise will increase civic responsibility in the United States. The 

opportunity for people to participate in politics, and in their own destiny, will diminish 

any extremist tendency. 

KARAMAH: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights (feminist, legal, advocacy)

Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights (KARAMAH) works to protect the human rights 

of Muslims in the United States and in Muslim societies. KARAMAH, meaning “dignity” 

in Arabic, aims to provide support through education, grassroots advocacy, and activism. Since 1993, the organization has been committed to dialogue, peaceful conflict 

resolution, and democratic institutions. The organization’s objectives are to transform 

misconceived ideas about women’s status within Islamic communities. KARAMAH works 

to improve the treatment of women and to ensure that Muslim women take an active part 

in governing their lives and seeking leadership positions. It believes active involvement 

can counter the destructive effects of ignorance, silence, and prejudices against women. 

KARAMAH is one of the few American Muslim organizations that openly proposes an 

Islamic perspective on issues of human rights, and members of the organization regularly 

publish their work in international law journals. KARAMAH’s board of directors includes 

American Muslim women lawyers, experts in mediation and conflict resolution, and 

experts in Islamic jurisprudence. KARAMAH has worked vigorously to educate the general 

public about the role of human rights in Islam. In September 1995 the organization 

KARAMAH works to improve the 

treatment of women and to ensure 

that Muslim women take an active 

part in governing their lives and 

seeking leadership positions.
16

participated at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China. 

KARAMAH spoke against the Taliban’s edict on religious minorities and published papers 

on educational rights of Muslim schoolgirls in France. KARAMAH views its activities as a 

way to bridge American Muslim women with women in the Muslim world and to simultaneously build coalitions with Muslim women nongovernmental organizations.

The organization has developed new programs, such as confronting domestic violence and advancing Muslim women’s human rights globally. KARAMAH is an important 

resource for American Muslim women who seek advice on civil rights, spousal abuse, and

employment accommodation on religious practices. KARAMAH members see themselves as 

partners with other civil rights groups advocating the protection of civil liberties in the 

United States. 

Particularly since 9/11, KARAMAH has provided legal services and sponsored educational programs to women’s groups, both nationally and internationally. It strives to 

educate a new generation of American Muslim women who can serve as experts in both 

American and Islamic law. KARAMAH’s board member Amr Abdalla, a George Washington 

University professor, currently directs KARAMAH’s “Conflict Resolution Project” with the 

goal of creating new thinking and awareness about conflict prevention and nonviolent 

measures to resolving conflicts. 

Views of American Muslim Scholars

Efforts to avert violence and promote conflict resolution and peacemaking have developed 

into a richly diverse and intellectual field among American Muslim scholars with different 

methodologies and perspectives. Ingrid Matson, vice president of ISNA and professor of 

Islamic Studies at Hartford Seminary, stated that American Muslims have a special obligation to stop violence: “Who has the greatest duty to stop violence committed by Muslims 

against innocent non-Muslims in the name of Islam? The answer, obviously, is Muslims.” 

For other scholars, the primary issue lies in the narrow fundamentalist interpretations of 

Islam and in the way fundamentalists project themselves as the sole guardians of the 

religion. Professor Ali Minai, of the University of Cincinnati, remarked, “the interpretation 

of Islam can no longer be left to the most regressive segment of Muslim society. Muslims 

who believe that their faith is compatible with progressive humanist ideals will express 

themselves—not as apologists of Islam to the West but as proponents of new possibilities 

for Muslims.” 

One leading scholar who has examined the juristic history of war and violence in Islam 

is Professor Khaled Abou El Fadl, law professor at UCLA and author of Islam and the Challenge of Democracy, The Place of Tolerance in Islam, and Rebellion and Violence in Islamic 

Law. According to El Fadl, the world of the terrorists is tied to a puritanical theology that 

is responding to powerlessness and a crisis of identities. The major issues are that “there 

are profound feelings of defeatism, alienation, frustration, and arrogance. It is a theology 

that is alienated not only from the institutions of power in the modern world, but also 

from its own heritage and [Islamic] tradition.” Contrary to many analogies of terrorism to 

an infectious disease, El Fadl believes, “terrorism is an aberration, an extreme manifestation of underlying social and ideological currents in a particular culture. Terrorism is not a 

virus that suddenly infects the brain of a person; rather, it is the result of long-standing 

and cumulative cultural and rhetorical dynamics. In Islamic law terrorism (hirabah) is 

considered cowardly, predatory, and a grand sin punishable by death.”

Professor Muqtedar Khan, assistant professor in the Department of Political Science 

and International Relations at the University of Delaware and author of American Muslims: 

Bridging Faith and Freedom, operates an online column and website titled, Ijtihad, to help 

Muslims rationally reflect on their faith and contemporary issues. Critical of U.S. foreign 

policy and of the erosion of civil rights domestically, Khan believes that American Muslims 

Ingrid Matson, vice president of 

ISNA and professor of Islamic 

Studies at Hartford Seminary, stated 

that American Muslims have a 

special obligation to stop violence: 

“Who has the greatest duty to stop 

violence committed by Muslims 

against innocent non-Muslims in the 

name of Islam? The answer, 

obviously, is Muslims.” 

Contrary to many analogies of 

terrorism to an infectious disease, 

El Fadl believes, “terrorism is an 

aberration, an extreme manifestation of underlying social and 

ideological currents in a particular 

culture. Terrorism is not a virus 

that suddenly infects the brain of 

a person; rather, it is the result of 

long-standing and cumulative 

cultural and rhetorical dynamics.
17

need to move from their difficult positions and be active in democratic processes. Khan 

stated, 

Professor Khan thinks it is vitally important that every American Muslim contribute to 

the interpretative process of the Islamic tradition. According to Khan, when each person’s 

interpretation is viewed as an equal voice among experts, democracy has a greater role 

in Muslim lives. 

Professor Asma Afsaruddin of Notre Dame University recalls the historical lessons 

of early Islam. Even though dynastic rule became the norm, accountable, consultative 

government remained the ideal; despotism was denounced as un-Islamic and unjust. She 

said, “modern democracies are fully consonant with Islamic values and in fact, principles 

of good governance were developed and practiced in early Islam. Democratic governments 

in vibrant civil societies are able to mediate internal conflicts and are answerable to their 

peoples through regular elections.” Afsaruddin believes that the existence of autocratic 

governments in the Muslim world and the lack of basic political and civic freedoms for 

most of the citizenry are the real root causes of violence. The most effective way of reducing conflict and terrorism is to work toward democratic reform and the strengthening of 

civil society. 

Conclusion: Multipronged Conflict Prevention 

The American Muslim community is diverse in every conceivable way. There are numerous 

national and regional organizations dedicated to important civic, religious, cultural, educational, political, and social issues. On the subject of terrorism and conflict resolution, 

clearly all American Muslim groups have denounced it emphatically, while some have gone 

beyond words by becoming involved with foreign policy, lobbying efforts, and mobilizing 

grassroots campaigns in the community. 

The Fiqh Council of North American fatwa is an example of American Muslims taking 

proactive positions on global terrorism, while practicing zero tolerance of violence and 

religious extremism. Their positions have examined conflict and peacemaking in Islam and 

have advocated the explicit need for American Muslims to cooperate with law enforcement. 

National American Muslim organizations like MPAC, CAIR, ISNA, and AMA have focused 

on violence and religious extremism as critical issues with local and international strategies. MPAC’s “National Grassroots Campaign to Fight Terrorism” and CAIR’s “Not in the 

Name of Islam” efforts are examples of American Muslims’ innovative programs to raise 

awareness on issues of radical ideologies. The coordination of their efforts with those of 

law enforcement agencies demonstrates mutual recognition of the roles each group plays 

in conflict prevention. 

Organizations like CSID, FMC, MAT, and AIFD exhibit new types of thinking in the 

American Muslim community by fostering, cultivating, and institutionalizing democratic 

reform in the Muslim world as the primary answer to extremism. Their own experiences 

in the United States confirm that Islamic values and democracy are compatible, and it 

is vitally important to institutionalize democracy in order to reform despotic totalitarian 

societies. Their activities display a conscious effort to make for themselves in American 

society, while contributing as bridge builders to the Muslim world. Their activities have 

already established a definite American Muslim model of inclusion and participation that 

“Democracy is not a function of numbers, but of participation. The [American 

Muslim] community needs to find a new way of thinking about its future in 

America. They have to transcend the Islam vs. the West, which still shapes their 

leaders’ politics. They need to listen more to the intellectuals and scholars who 

are seeking to chart a new path for the community.

On the subject of terrorism and 

conflict resolution, clearly all 

American Muslim groups have 

denounced it emphatically, while 

some have gone beyond words by 

becoming involved with foreign 

policy, lobbying efforts, and 

mobilizing grassroots campaigns in 

the community.
18

differs from Muslim communities in Europe where Muslim communities are less involved 

in law enforcement and civic participation. 

The participation of American Muslims in mainstream politics is to empower the community in many different levels of public life. American Muslim advocacy groups have 

tackled stereotyping of Muslims as a matter of public debate, and they have aggressively worked toward resolving incidents of discrimination and civil rights abuses. These 

achievements have shifted political attitudes that have enabled American Muslims to 

integrate in American political institutions. 

Another strategy in the American Muslim community is to focus on human rights, 

gender inequality, and interfaith dialogue, and to increase the Muslim presence in the 

American legal system. KARAMAH, NAML, and ASMA represent specialized groups whose 

members believe that injustices can be overcome by addressing the various legal, socioeconomic, political, and religious systems involved. ASMA’s interfaith dialogue programs 

in the United States and around the world reflect the desire for reconciliation and humanizing of all people. Each of these groups recognizes that mutual respect is tied to taking 

real steps toward tolerance and is part of alleviating suffering.

Some organizations are concerned with improving the condition of all human beings 

through education and spiritual awareness, not terrorism. Other groups believe their 

particular expertise is not conflict resolution, but rather a focus on cultural, social, professional, artistic, democratic, and human rights issues. With such immense diversity in the 

American Muslim community, it is difficult to reduce it to a single voice. Instead, there 

needs to be greater appreciation for the efforts and contributions of Muslims in areas 

of conflict resolution, interfaith dialogue, peace building, education, political activities, 

civic work, human rights and women’s rights advocacy, legal expertise, and humanitarian 

efforts. The immense contributions and growing involvement of American Muslims in the 

public square clearly reflects that Muslims in the United States are situating themselves 

within civic, governmental, and political structures of the nation. Each organization has 

its own vision for its members as Americans and for their contributions to contemporary 

issues of conflict and peacemaking. 

Sources

• Carl S. Dudley and David A. Roozen, Faith Communities Today: A Report on Religion in the United States 

Today (Hartford Seminary, 2001)

• Khaled Abou El Fadl, Islam and The Challenge of Democracy (Princeton University Press, 2004)

• Yvonne Haddad, ed., Muslims in the West: From Sojourners to Citizens (Oxford; New York: Oxford University 

Press, 2002)

• Yvonne Haddad and Jane Smith, eds. Muslim Communities in North America (Albany: State University of New 

York Press, 1994)

• Muqtedar Khan, American Muslims: Bridging Faith and Freedom (Beltsville: Amana Publications, 2002)

• Kathleen M. Moore, Al-Mughtaribun: American Law and the Transformation of Muslim Life in the United States

(Albany: State University of New York Press, 1995)

• Muslim Public Affairs Council, “MPAC Offers Ten Tips to Enhance Partnership Against Terrorism,” press release, 

May 28, 2003.

• Mohamed Nimer, The North American Muslim Resource Guide: Muslim Community Life in the United States and 

Canada (New York: Routledge, 2002)

• Sulayman Nyang, Islam in the United States of America (Chicago: ABC International Group, Inc., 1999)

• Mustafa al-Qazwini, Inquiries about Shia Islam (Islamic Educational Center of Orange County, CA, n.d.)

• Fariyal Ross-Sheriff, “Immigrant Muslim Women in the United States: Adaptation to American Society,” 

Journal of Social Work Research (2001), pp. 283-294.

• Jane Smith, Islam in America (New York: Columbia University Press, 1999)

• Zogby International and Project MAPS: Muslims in the American Public Square, “American Muslim Poll (Nov/

Dec 2001)” December 19, 2001
19

Web Sites 

1. Fiqh Council of North America

www.fiqhcouncil.org

2. Muslim Public Affairs Council 

www.mpac.org 

3. Council on American Islamic Relations 

www.cair-net.org

4. Islamic Society of North America

www.isna.net

5. The North American Shia Ithna-Asheri Muslim Communities 

www.nasimco.org

6. American Muslim Alliance 

www.amaweb.org

7. Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy 

www.islam-democracy.org

8. Free Muslims Coalition Against Terrorism

www.freemuslims.org

9. Muslims Against Terrorism 

www.m-a-t.org

10. American Islamic Forum for Democracy 

www.aifdemocracy.org

11. The Muslim Peace Fellowship

www.mpfweb.org

12. American Muslims Intent on Learning and Activism 

www.amila.org

13. Zaytuna Institute 

www.zaytuna.org

14. National Association of Muslim Lawyers 

www.namlnet.org

15. Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights 

www.karamah.org

16. American Society for Muslim Advancement

www.asmasociety.org

17. Ijtihad

www.ijtihad.org
Of Related Interest

A number of other publications from the United States Institute of Peace examine issues 

related to Islam and interreligious dialogue. 

Recent Institute reports include 

• Teaching About the Religious Other (Special Report 143, July 2005)

• What Works? Evaluating Interfaith Dialogue Programs (Special Report 123, July 

2004)

• Healing the Holy Land: Interreligious Peacebuilding in Israel/Palestine by Yehezkel 

Landau (Peaceworks 51, August 2003)

• Building Interreligious Trust in a Climate of Fear: An Abrahamic Trialogue 

(Special Report 99, February 2003)

• Islam and Democracy (Special Report 93, September 2002)

• Islamic Perspectives on Peace and Violence (Special Report 86, April 2002)

• Faith-Based NGOs and International Peacebuilding (Special Report 76, October 2001)

Recent books from USIP Press include

• Interfaith Dialogue and Peacemaking by David R. Smock (2002)

• Religious Perspectives on War: Christian, Muslim, and Jewish Attitudes toward Force by 

David R. Smock (Revised Edition, 2002)

• Perspective on Pacifism: Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Views by David R. Smock 

(1995)

For book sales and order information, call (800) 868-8064 (U.S. toll-free only) or (703) 

661-1590, or fax (703) 661-1501.

United States 

Institute of Peace

1200 17th Street NW

Washington, DC 20036

www.usip.org

An online edition of this and related 

reports can be found at our website 

(www.usip.org), together with additional 

information on the subject.