MAPAC Holds Candidates Meetings and Distributes Candidates Endorsments

MAPAC - The Muslim American Public Affairs Council, of which I am a member held one Candidate Town Hall Meeting in Durham on September 26, 2016 in association with Jamaat Ibad Ar-Rahman Mosque at the Parkwood Facility located at  5522 Revere Road in Durham, and three other Candidate Town Hall Meetings where held in Wake County during the month of October 2016. One at the Apex Mosque, another at IAR and the last one at As Salaam Islamic Center. The purpose of these Town Hall Meetings is to give candidates an opportunity to share  their views with the Muslim voters of Wake and Durham Counties, and the Muslim Community, in turn, had an opportunity to ask questions of the candidates and share their concerns. MAPAC Board members conducted evaluations of the candidates and then created a slate of endorsed candidates  which is available to the local Muslim Community.

A major concern for Muslims in North Carolina and other areas of the United States at present is Islamophobia. The media and anti-Muslim politicians are major drivers of this bigotry towards Islam. Islamophobia is tied to terror attacks at home and abroad and  fueled by the cable TV 24 hour spin machine and has created this unjustified hatred of Islam in the West. Trying to blame all terror attacks on Muslims who make up approximately 1.7 billion people from practically every country on the planet is a stretch a very long and unreasonable stretch. Do Americans show hatred and bigotry toward Christians because of the terrorist acts of  a White Supremacist group? Of course, they don't so you can see an apparent double standard when it comes to all Muslims being tied to a group like ISIS.

I recently watched a PBS Frontline documentary called "Confronting ISIS". It showed that much of the United States and the West reliance on combating ISIS is actually done by Muslims and Islamic Countries. Yet do to all of the negative propaganda in the media attacks against Muslims and Mosques is on the rise. Sisters wearing hijab have been attacked. School age children have been bullied and attacked at school. Muslims parents are correct to be concerned and they shared those concerns with Candidates for the Wake County School Board at a recent town hall meeting held at As Salaam Islamic Center in Southeast Raleigh, NC. School board candidates reassured attendees that they are aware of the negative attitudes towards Muslims, and they understand that in their roles they must protect students, be inclusive and support cultural diversity.

The county and the state of North Carolina are deeply divided between Republicans and Democrats as to who should be the next President of the United States. Many Women and Democrats are hopeful that Hilary Clinton will become the first Woman President in US History. Democrats are hopeful to turn North Carolina back into a Blue State and turn the US Senate back over to the Democrats with a win by Democrats like Deborah Ross. Muslims are hopeful that whoever gains and advantage will not continue the anti-Muslim devise rhetoric. It is for this reason that Muslims all over the country should get out and vote today Election Day! Stay Tuned!

James"Munir"Perry