Since the incidents of 9/11, American Muslims have engaged themselves in civil activism, helping the less fortunate in their communities across the US.
Marking the 20th anniversary, the Muslim community in Nashville maintained this legacy, spending the day helping the new refugees coming to the US.
In an event hosted at the Islamic Center of Nashville, mosque imam Osama Bahloul spent Saturday at the mosque parking lot to direct workers receiving donations from visitors.
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Ever since 2001, the event had been held annually to reflect on how American society came to view Muslims after the attack and to give back to the society.
“It’s a very challenging day for the Muslim community,” Bahloul told Tennessee Lookout.
Saturday’s effort is the result of cooperation and unity among religious leaders of different faiths who worked hard to gather resources for Afghan refugees.
Better Future
For the Muslim community, it’s a chance to contemplate creating a better future for the next generation.
“I think doing this on a day like this is critical. It’s a message for the Muslim community and the community at large that we are a part of the American society,” Bahloul said.
“It’s a message that we are sending from the religious community that you can be Jewish, you can be Christian, Muslims, Hindu or other, and that we should all realize that we are all citizens of the same country,” he added.
With the refugees’ arrival, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has been coordinating efforts to collect donations to refugees in Baltimore mosques.
CAIR efforts have not been limited to helping refugees only.
Over the past weeks, the Muslim civil rights group has been using Afghanistan news to stop the spread of falsehoods toward refugees, US Muslims, and Islam.