Muslims for America
Encyclopedia
Muslims For America, is a pressure group dedicated to introducing American Muslims
into politics and ensuring US foreign policy is "written with an understanding of Islam
." According to its website, Muslims For America aims to work with the Republican National Committee
, in setting up American Muslim
Republican Caucuses within each US state Republican Party
, in addition to building relations with the Democratic Party
.
The group was founded and is funded by American Muslims of Pakistan
i and Central Asian descent, Muhammad Ali Hasan, and his mother, Seeme Gull Khan Hasan.
Claiming to be bipartisan in nature, Muslims For America believe "the best foreign policy plans can mature from both the Republican Party and Democratic Party"
However, some hold the view that the group is really a partisan Republican lobby organization; one of the group's founders, Seeme Gull Khan Hasan, reportedly having "donated more than $1 million to Bush
and Republican causes since the 2000 [US Presidential election] campaign" . When announcing the name change from Muslims For Bush, the group stated among its aims, to "create greater friendships between American Muslims and the Republican Party."
During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
the organization faced conflicting interest between the strong support of Israel
by the U.S. government and American politicians, and the general attitude of Muslims toward Israel.
Muslims For America has consistently expressed a zero tolerance
policy for any kind of terrorism
, "in following the example left by Prophet
Muhammad
."
In 2010, co-founder Muhammad Ali Hasan announced that he would be leaving the Republican Party citing the party's bigotry against Muslims, undocumented immigrants, and gays. His mother Seeme has also criticized the party for its opposition to the Park51 Muslim community center, claiming that "The past few years in the Republican party has been constant humiliation for Muslims."
Islam in the United States
From the 1880s to 1914, several thousand Muslims immigrated to the United States from the Ottoman Empire, and from parts of South Asia; they did not form distinctive settlements, and probably most assimilated into the wider society....
into politics and ensuring US foreign policy is "written with an understanding of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
." According to its website, Muslims For America aims to work with the Republican National Committee
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
, in setting up American Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
Republican Caucuses within each US state Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, in addition to building relations with the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
The group was founded and is funded by American Muslims of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i and Central Asian descent, Muhammad Ali Hasan, and his mother, Seeme Gull Khan Hasan.
Claiming to be bipartisan in nature, Muslims For America believe "the best foreign policy plans can mature from both the Republican Party and Democratic Party"
However, some hold the view that the group is really a partisan Republican lobby organization; one of the group's founders, Seeme Gull Khan Hasan, reportedly having "donated more than $1 million to Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and Republican causes since the 2000 [US Presidential election] campaign" . When announcing the name change from Muslims For Bush, the group stated among its aims, to "create greater friendships between American Muslims and the Republican Party."
During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
The 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War #Other uses|Tammūz]]) and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War , was a 34-day military conflict in Lebanon, northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. The principal parties were Hezbollah...
the organization faced conflicting interest between the strong support of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
by the U.S. government and American politicians, and the general attitude of Muslims toward Israel.
Muslims For America has consistently expressed a zero tolerance
Zero tolerance
Zero tolerance imposes automatic punishment for infractions of a stated rule, with the intention of eliminating undesirable conduct. Zero-tolerance policies forbid persons in positions of authority from exercising discretion or changing punishments to fit the circumstances subjectively; they are...
policy for any kind of terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
, "in following the example left by Prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
."
In 2010, co-founder Muhammad Ali Hasan announced that he would be leaving the Republican Party citing the party's bigotry against Muslims, undocumented immigrants, and gays. His mother Seeme has also criticized the party for its opposition to the Park51 Muslim community center, claiming that "The past few years in the Republican party has been constant humiliation for Muslims."