WASHINGTON — Ten U.S. Islamic organizations announced that they have formed a coalition at a press conference held at the National Press Club to encourage one million Muslim Americans to register to vote before the 2016 election.

The “civic empowerment initiative” aims to conduct a census of Muslims nationwide and address the rise of hate crimes carried out against Muslims in the United States.

The coalition pulls in efforts from groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA).

The coalition said the outreach initiative will include the “One America” program, an educational program designed to help non-Muslims understand the religion.

Osama Abu Irshaid of American Muslims for Palestine, a participant at the conference, said he wants to see more engagement of Muslims in the civic process.

“We also want to ward off the evils of bigotry and Islamophobia and begin to define ourselves instead of allowing others – who don’t understand us, who fear us and even hate us – tell us how we should live and worship in this country,” Irshaid said

A speaker at the event, Mahdi Bray, executive director of the American Muslim Alliance, said the early voting effort will be used to fight the bigotry that public officials and political candidates like Donald Trump espouse.

“We’re going to register our people and we’re going to take our souls to the polls and make sure you’re out of there,” Bray said.