“Where are the Muslims?
“Why aren’t they speaking out against terrorism?
“What are they doing to solve this issue”
Weary of seeing such questions time and time again, Ms. Daisy Kahn, Executive Director of Women’s Islamic Initiative on Spirituality & Equality ( WISE) www.wiseupreport.org/ last week told an audience, in effect,
We’re doing plenty in combatting violent extremism and extremist ideology. So join us.
Ms. Kahn was at Manhattan College, headlining its “WISE UP Town Hall Dialogue” for students and friends of the college’s Holocaust, Genocide and Interfaith Education Center and the Muslim Student’s Association. The program was part of a WISE national outreach public relations campaign to “improve interaction and understanding across faith-based and cross-cultural communities.”
WISE leadership is scheduled to present its new, comprehensive study of “building bridges to stand up against hatred and violence” www.wiseupreport.org/book/ at a special March 20th bipartisan congressional briefing in Washington D.C. A few of the report highlights:
. Seven Common Misconceptions About American Muslims
. Surging Hate Crimes: A Concern for All Americans
. Islamophobia and Domestic Security
.Crafting an American Muslim Identity
. Debunking Extremist Ideology
. Understanding Extremist Recruitment (and how to counteract it)
Ms. Kahn: “We invite you to support WISE UP, whether by spreading the word about it to your professional and personal contacts and/or by playing a more active and engaged role, as part of our collective movement for peace.”