US Officials Engage Muslim Youth

Cairo, EGYPT  Officials from the Homeland Security, State and Justice departments have been engaged in "unprecedented" meetings withtwo dozen young Muslims on several issues, topped by reports about the radicalization of Muslim American youth.

"For me, this conference is about trying to find out what it means to be an American Muslim in terms of political and civic engagement," Omar Sarwar, the Columbia University graduate who ditched a career in banking to go back to school and study politics and religion, told The Washington Post on Sunday, July 15.

Organized by the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), the National Muslim American Youth Summit was held over the weekend in Capitol Hill.

It brought together 27 young Muslims and officials from the departments of Homeland Security, State and Justice in the first ever such a high-profile meeting.

Sarwar, 25, said he was motivated to participate by the latest terrorist attacks in the US and Britain.

"I'm trying to find out what it means to be a political Muslim but not the one on the cover of a magazine with a gun."

As part of the summit, the young Muslims met with Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress.

They also met with the Congressional Muslim Staffers Association, which has 25 members of Muslims working on Capitol Hill.

There are between six to seven million Muslims in the United States, making up less than three percent of the country's 300 million population.

A Pew Research Center report claimed in May that a quarter of US Muslims ages 18 to 29 believe suicide bombings against civilians can sometimes be justified to defend Islam, while only 9 percent older than 30 believe that.

Cautious

During the two-day summit, young Muslims also debated the difficult task of engaging with the administration while maintaining credibility with their fellow Muslims.

"I'm trying constantly to figure out: How can I be a civically involved Muslim, interact with other Muslims as well as the government while not seeming like a sellout, like my allegiance is in one camp or another?" said Mohamed Sabur.

The 23-year-old native Minnesotan left his computer science study to be more engaged in politics.

The summit organizer, MPAC, has to live with this dilemma especially as it is believed to having the coziest links to law enforcement and the administration compared to other major Muslim American advocacy groups.

"When we go to the Pentagon, the community goes nuts; people are like, 'Are you guys becoming the Muslim mouthpiece for these agencies?' " said Safiya Ghori, the group's government relations director.

"We are trying to be very transparent, but it is important for us to be here. There are always people who don't feel like engaging with the government, but we feel that is our strategy."

Sabur, whose parents grew up in East Africa, seemed to agree.

"Maybe this government isn't ready to seriously dialogue.

"But Muslim Americans need to continue to advance, to learn the importance of civic engagement."

However, after attending the summit Sarwar, a New Yorker whose parents are from Pakistan, came to the conclusion that he would have more influence at a think tank than in the government.

"These people aren't making policy. They're carrying it out." Source: www.islamonline.com

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