Muslims seek effective political voice in U.S.

By Deborah Kong
Associated Press

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The logo for the American Muslim Alliance convention is the Islamic crescent and star combined with the U.S. stars and stripes — two identities that the group's leaders want to fuse into a unified political force.

More than 500 people are expected to gather today in San Jose for a convention sponsored by the alliance on how to counter prejudice against Muslims and become more politically active, said Agha Saeed, the group's national chairman.

"We need to mobilize the masses of Muslims in this country to make sure they know they are Americans, they are Muslims," said vice chairman Shabbir Safdar, "and they have exactly the same rights and exactly the same opportunities as any other Americans have."

Muslims are facing intense questioning about their faith and loyalty to the United States. Such scrutiny has set Muslim gains in America back 10 to 20 years, Safdar said.

"Our job is now cut out, to make the American public aware of what true Islam is and what Muslims are," he said. "There is a renewed commitment to make sure that the message gets out and that Muslims realize there is a virtue in having a political unity and a political movement."

The 6 million Muslims in the United States represent a diverse range, including Arabs, South Asians and blacks, among others. They include recent immigrants as well as those whose families have been here for generations.

Alliance leaders, however, believe there is common ground on issues such as protecting civil rights, opposing sanctions against Iraq, and raising awareness of the Palestinians' plight.