In association with the Islam and Muslims project, the conference, “Bridging the Gap: Muslim Communities and Governments in the United States,” brought together professionals, scholars, and researchers.
The meeting is the sixth in a series that QatarDebate started to spread information and offer forums for in-depth debates of current issues around the globe. Mohammed Al Lakhan Al-Marri, a professor at Qatar University and a PhD candidate in political science at the University of California, Riverside, moderated it on behalf of QatarDebate.
Linda Sarsour, a former executive director of the Arab American Association of New York, Trita Parsi, a professor of international politics at Johns Hopkins University and an authority on Iranian affairs and US foreign policy, and Dr. Dalia Fahmy, a political science associate professor at Long Island University and a visiting researcher at the Centre for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights at Rutgers University, were among the panellists.
They talked on issues affecting Muslims specifically in the United States, such as immigration laws, as well as issues relating to their identity and faith. The panel highlighted that this conversation takes place at a pivotal moment as the United States is experiencing a “democratic legitimacy crisis,” which gives such discussions and to increasing the level of political engagement.
The panellists also talked on how Muslims are represented politically in the United States and how they may combat Islamophobia by using their votes in elections to achieve representation in local government, Congress, and the Senate.
The discussion also emphasised the need of well-known political Islamic leaders working to combat Islamophobia and advance societal integration while observing the effects of prejudice suffered by Muslims in the United States. The panellists also talked about current media trends and the reasons why Muslim popular opinion and government policies diverge.