In Response To Rising Biased Rhetoric, Muslims Run For Office

[applegrove]

Kat Chow at NPR

http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2017/02/27/517392392/in-response-to-rising-biased-rhetoric-muslims-run-for-office

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We know that in times of heightened stress, human instincts tell us to fight or flee. For some American Muslims, the current political climate has created a need for more Muslims to stand up and fight by seeking political office.

"Muslims didn't ask to be dragged into the spotlight, but now that we're there and we need to push back," said Robert McCaw, director of government affairs at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). "Getting into elected offices is one of the best means."

McCaw pointed out that there are only two Muslims serving in Congress: Keith Ellison of Minnesota, who over the weekend was appointed deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee, and André Carson of Indiana. Local races, including ones in New Jersey and Austin, have seen an increase in mostly Democratic Muslim candidates running for office. And Sayu Bhojwani, the executive director of the New American Leaders Project (NALP), which helps politically-involved immigrants run for office, said her organization has seen more South Asian, Arab-American and Muslim people emerge from their trainings and run for office.

"When your civil rights are under attack," McCaw said, "grab hold of the constitution and assert yourself."

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[gopiscrap]

1. Excellent