Waqas Syed, Deputy Secretary General of the Islamic Circle of North America, notes that in the week following the San Bernardino shooting there were approximately 22 reported attacks on Muslims in the area. He expresses concern that figures like Donald Trump are spreading hateful rhetoric and Islamophobia. However, Muslim communities believe in the American political process and are responding to increased tensions and deteriorating relations with love, unity, and condemnation of what is responsible rather than with hatred. Muslim organizations are providing a united front against Islamophobia and stressing the importance of interfaith collaboration and civic engagement.

1. Islam: The Most Hated ReligioninThe World
The Muslim-AmericanResponse toa Society Callingfor TheirHeads
By Danielle Holland|December16,2015
Islamophobiaspreadslike wildfire. With the recent attacks in Paris and San Bernardino leading to a sharp spike in the
already significant level of anxiety over terrorism, society is responding – and not in the ways in which we should be
proud.The attacks in Paris and Californiahave alreadybeguntobringaboutsomethingequallyasscary: a newlyrevived
widespread global wave of Islamophobia, violence and virulent outspoken hatred of Islam.
The nationis still reelingfromthe 9/11 attacks alone, andfourteenyearslaterthere continues to be a palpable tension
and continued degradation of Muslim-American relations in the United States.
Waqas Syed is currently serving as the Deputy Secretary General of the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) and is
basedinOrange County,California. Whenreachedforcommenting,Syednotedthatthere were a reported twenty-two
attacks on Muslimsin the area within just a week after the shooting in San Bernardino, California, and those numbers
are conservative. “There’salotof tensioninthe air”,he said.When askedwhathe feelsit is indicative of in the state of
the Americansocietywhenleaders suchasDonaldTrump can rise to suchsignificant levels on such hateful rhetoric, he
responded with “Clearly, something is not working….[however] our concern isn’t that someone of this nature will be
elected”.
Mr. Syedsaysthat ingeneral,the Muslimcommunitybelieves“enough in American ideals and the political process” to
have faiththat individualsof the sortwill notprevail.The mainconcern,isthe propagationof extreme viewsand spread
of Islamophobia. “Effectslastaverylongtime - years,decadeseven,andlead tocrazy lawsthatcurtail civil liberties and
freedom of speech”.
Despite his concerns however, Mr. Syed also noted the positive response of the media surrounding the incident.
According to him they had collectively decided not to post pictures of images with the San Bernardino perpetrators
wearinghijab.Theyalso made a point to refrain from calling it a “terrorist attack until it was actually confirmed by the
FBI.
However,there are still manyinstanceswhere one canfindapalpable bias andtinge of incitement in journalism pieces
surroundingMuslimissues.Inthe mostrecent issue of Newsweek (December 18, 2015), the front page read “Domestic
Terrorism – When Jihadists Pose as Suburban Parents”.
In the article,the authorcoinedthe SanBernardinotragedy as the worst“atrocityon US soil since 9/11”. However, with
the death toll at 14, the attack resulted in half of the mortalities as resulted from the Sandy Hook tragedy, which
resulted in 28 deaths, primarily that of young children.
The issue of societal backlash is of paramount importance. It can be seen marginalized all too often by the American
media, with networks such as FOX News, amongst others, habitually perpetuating severely misguided sensationalist
propagandacoupledwiththe incessantuse of fear-mongeringtactics.Thisformof negative influence runs rampant and
was mostrecentlyseenin the instilment of widespread fear in response to the Syrian refugee “crisis” in America. In a
recent Washington Post article, it was found that while in general, the instance of Anti-Muslim hate crimes have
decreasedsince the periodof time immediatelyfollowingthe 9/11 attacks,Anti-Muslimhate crimes “are still five times
more commontoday thanbefore 9/11”. That meansthe instance of Anti-Muslimhate crimesaffectinginnocentMuslim-
American civilians has increased 500% since before 9/11.
…and Muslim-Americans all over are responding – but in an utmost admirable manner.
The Muslim-Americanresponsetothe deteriorationof American-Islamicrelationsinthe United States is one filled with
mixed emotions and anxiety but countered not through hatred, victimization or blame, but through love, unity and

2. condemnationforthatwhichisresponsible.Organizationssuchasthe Council onAmerican-IslamicRelations (CAIR) and
the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) are providing a united front in the threat against rampant Islamophobia.
These organizationsstressthe importance of “interfaith collaboration” and “civic engagement” and operate based on
“transparency”,“accountability”and“operationalefficacy”.They serve toprovideamuchneededboosttorelationsand
spread of unity throughout the community by means of dutiful responsibilities and an emphasis on cohesion.
Whenspeakingonthe positive aspectsthatare rearing their heads in response to the tragedy and decline in relations,
Mr. SyedcommentedthatMuslim communities and organizations like his own have as a result become more “adept”,
“efficient”and“organized”incarryingout theirresponsibilitiesand societal duties. They have worked to become more
transparent, holding more press conferences and interfacing with other organizations to help improve and instill
confidence to the Muslim Community and American community as a whole.
As a result,everydaycitizensandindividualsare alsobecomingincreasinglyoutspokenregardingsocietal tensions.Najib
Motahedy,32, an Afghan-Americanindividual offeredasimilarapproachandpointof view.When asked what he would
say if he could help spread awareness and facilitate a better understanding of Muslim-Americans, he responded with
positivity. He stressed unity and the importance of choosing “peace, love, and co-existence”. He emphasized that a
social schismisonly“fulfilling these extremist agendas” and how we as a society must work hard together in the fight
against racism and the spread of misinformation regarding the Muslim community.
An overwhelming theme of unity prevails with the vast majority of Muslim’s favoring engagement and a search for
commongroundwithotherAmericans. The response is largely positive and inspiring considering the context of being
embedded in a society plagued with racial tensions reminiscent of the Jim Crow era.
Whenpolled, 84% of Muslimindividuals saidMuslimsshouldstronglyemphasize sharedvalueswithChristiansandJews,
withpriorsurveysfindingthat59%of Americansindicatedthatsuchactionswouldfavorablychange theirviewstowards
Muslims. There are innumerousorganizationsandindividuals whoare makingvalianteffortstonotgive up the fight for
peaceful progression, in the midst of chaos and the deterioration of intercultural relations.
Just this week an alliance of American Muslim groups raised more than $130,000 for the families of victims of the San
Bernardino shooting, and according to the representatives, the donations “are still flooding in”. Tarek El-Messidi, co-
founderof the Islamicnon-profitCelebrate Mercyhadoriginallyhopedtoraise $50,000, but the organizationraisedthat
amountin just48 hours. It is due to individualssuchas Mr. El-Messidi, Mr. Syed and thousands just like them, that the
outlook is optimistic.