America is known as a “melting pot,” with many cultures, religions, ethnicities and races integrating into the mainstream American culture. Muslims have been a relatively new addition to the immigrant population. Their integration had just begun to progress when it came to an abrupt standstill with the events of September 11, 2001.

According to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, American Muslim institutions were “underdeveloped, and they lacked strong, visible leaders,” a fact which became especially clear in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Therefore, the Council developed a task force titled “Strengthening America: The Civic and Political Integration of Muslim Americans,” as a tool to engage Muslims in the civic and political arena of America. The task force, led by Farooq Kathwari, CEO of Ethan Allen Interiors Inc., and the former Secretary of Labor and Illinois Congresswoman, Lynn Martin, brought together a group of 32 distinguished individuals, both Muslim and non-Muslim. The findings of the report were presented in a panel discussion at Wayne State University’s Spencer M. Patriarch Law School Auditorium on November 30. Farid Senzai, moderator for the evening, is a senior research fellow and director of research at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. He is also an adjunct professor at Santa Clara University-California. He opened the panel by discussing the purpose of the task force. “There is a debate over whether the Muslim community is integrating well into the country,” he said. “Because people see Muslims as a potential threat to the United States, especially after 9/11, a reason the task force was created was to understand the level of integration of Muslim Americans and to find ways that the community is fully integrated in a positive way.”  The task force focuses on six recommendations that, according to the report, “call upon a wide range of institutions and leaders, Muslims and non-Muslims, to assist in speeding the Muslim American journey to full participation.”  Senior research fellow at the Great Cities Institute and panelist, Louise Cainkar, focused on these recommendations and stressed on the importance of building relationships and bridges between Muslims and non-Muslims. “Muslims need to work with other groups,” she explained. “Communication and leadership building is vital to Muslim and non-Muslim communities alike.” To emphasize Cainkar’s point, panelist Christopher Whitney, project director at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, said, “Non-Muslims need to acknowledge Muslims getting involved and being part of the political process is priority” He also explained a few recommendations that are listed in the report: “Muslims can and should better engage in the media. Also, Muslims are not part of the broader civic life as they should be.” Unfortunately, some people believe that in order to belong to the country and be more engaged with other communities, “Muslims should give up the core of Islam,” said panelist Aminah Beverly McCloud, director of Islamic World Studies and professor of Islamic Studies at DePaul University. “Muslims saw themselves being attacked in the media or at their work; teachers in public schools and professors were being scared out of positions due to Islamaphobia,” McCloud said.  Although this way of thinking is widespread in many communities across America, there still is hope. “Non-Muslim Americans are joining the resistance with Muslims,”  she said.  This can be seen with the Eid stamp, Congressional Ramadan recognition, and shows on channels such as Link TV which shine a more positive light on Muslim Americans. “Hopefully Muslim communities can review the recommendations of the task force and implement them in their own communities, because integration and working together with non-Muslims is important and vital to their development,” said Muzammil Ahmed of the Council of American-Islamic Relations after the event. Patrick Cates, 26, a student at Wayne State University, felt that the discussion “highlighted the fact that there is much more work to be done with regard to identifying the nature of the process of integration, cooperation, and success of Muslim American communities within the broader context.” He left the event “hopeful for the future, yet reminded of the challenges which lie before Muslim communities and America at large.” Most attendees felt the report offered a step toward strengthening the democracy entrusted to the people by the founding fathers and the U.S. Constitution�. and that by working together to ensure that Muslim American voices are heard, the community will not only increase its own security, but make American foreign policy a truer expression of who Americans are as a nation and reaffirm their commitment to the ideal of E Pluribus Unum (one out of many). Farhan Latif, 26, CEO of Strategic Inspirations and Admissions Counselor at University of Michigan-Dearborn, agrees: “This study serves as a step in what is hoped will be a fruitful direction for both Muslims and America as a whole.”