CAIRO – Religious Muslim leaders in the west issued the “Washington Declaration” on Thursday, February 4, announcing the formation of a coordinating body to deal with issues of common concern.
“We will continue to engage in civic, social, political and educational areas to better integrate the Muslims in their own countries, as well as internationally,” said Oussama Jammal, Secretary General of the US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), a press released sent to AboutIslam.net reported.
The declaration announcing the formation of the “Coordinating Body of Muslim Councils in the West” was issued at a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., and is the result of consultations at the recently-concluded “1st International Conference of Muslim Councils in the West” held this week in Arlington, Va.
The declaration was announced as a joint effort of USCMO, a coalition of leading national and local American Muslim groups, and leaders from Muslim organizations in the West.
“That conference was the first of its kind to bring Muslim leaders around the world together to exchange experiences and to discuss common issues of concern to our communities,” the press release reads.
“A conference of this scale, uniting the voices of Muslims across the Western Hemisphere and world, is vital to our continued growth and development as a global community.”
The 200 attendees included representatives from Muslim Councils and their member organizations from North America, South America, the Caribbean, Australia, and the Europe.
International representatives presented reports on Muslims in their respective countries.
Founding members of USCMO: American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA), Muslim American Society (MAS), Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA), Muslim Ummah of North America (MUNA) and The Mosque Cares (Ministry of Imam W. Deen Mohammed).
The Conference was a successful and productive event with participants discussing issues and working together to propose solutions.
The leaders were able to come up with a set of initiatives and proposals for further deliberation.
The leaders participating in the conference have acknowledged the need and have agreed to form a Coordinating Body of Muslim Councils in the West and have formed a steering committee to implement this decision.
The historic conference was a vibrant open discussion with enthusiastic participation from a diverse set of leaders who represented the Muslim community in the West.
A commitment to continue such meetings, which bring leaders together for a common purpose and a vision for our community, was agreed on by all participants.