The following comments make sense to me. What do you say? Dr. Cameron Jackson DrCameronJackson@gmail.com
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
As we look forward to 2011, we wanted to take this opportunity to reflect upon our organizational successes in 2010 at the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD). We can truly say that we have affected positive, lasting change in the national conversation about political Islam and Islamist radicalization. Issues such as the ‘Ground Zero mosque’, Major Nidal Hasan’s attack on Fort Hood, and an unprecedented number of homegrown terror plots from Muslims radicalized on our soil have finally begun to awaken America. AIFD has been a major catalyst in beginning to break down the blinders of political correctness that have prevented our nation from understanding the root cause of the ever-growing threat of Islamist radicalization-the ideology of political Islam. AIFD also exemplifies how solutions to that ideology may evolve– internal reform toward the separation of mosque and state from deep within the “House of Islam.”
AIFD’s mission is to advocate for the preservation of the founding principles of the United States Constitution, liberty and freedom through the separation of mosque and state.
AIFD’s successes: Our work through interviews and contributions on television, radio and in print has had consistent penetration into increasing audiences. This year alone we have reached an estimated audience of over 150,000,000. AIFD has been featured on CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper 360. We have been carried on Fox News Channel’s America Live, The O’Reilly Factor and Hannity. CBS News’ The Early Show, MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, and nationally syndicated radio programs by Laura Ingraham, Fred Thompson, G. Gordon Liddy, and Dennis Miller have regularly featured AIFD. Our writings have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, The Dallas Morning News, the Washington Times, the Daily Caller, and the Hudson Institute. Our expertise has been called upon as a source by the National Journal, Newsmax, the Washington Post, and the USA Today to name a few.
Our expertise has been increasingly called upon for guidance by academe, foundations, government, and religious institutions (e.g. House and Senate congressional anti-terror caucuses, Joint Forces Staff College, Heritage Foundation, U.S. Navy, Oslo Freedom Forum, and many more).
AIFD continues to build the foundations for reform work within Muslim communities. In 2010, we successfully conducted numerous public forums targeting young Muslims at universities; helped launch a coalition of prominent American Muslim leaders that will serve as an alternative voice to that of the dominant Muslim Brotherhood movement in the United States; and we have been invited to engage and dialogue with prominent Muslim leaders and demonstrate the genuine diversity of opinions among American Muslims and the importance of Muslim groups who focus on solutions.
It is through your gifts and partnership that AIFD has become a prominent and credible resource on Islamic issues for the private and public sectors. For that, we thank you!
In 2011 our workload will continue to increase exponentially as public awareness grows for the concern of the challenges posed by political Islam to the core values of free societies and our national security. We will continue to seek every opportunity to engage leaders, non-Muslims and Muslims, to counter the obstacles that political correctness poses in preventing the development of long overdue strategies for internal Muslim reform against political Islam. In 2011 we hope to:
Engage young Muslims in developing Muslim led solutions toward a modern liberty-based paradigm of Islam. We hope to provide young Muslims alternative venues for conversations and ideas that empower opportunities for reform that addresses their faith-based challenges in a rapidly modernizing world. We will advocate for that reform through the separation of mosque and state and the importance of an American national identity based in universal freedom over one based in political Islam.
Build the capacity of a diverse group of Muslim leaders with a unified public Muslim voice to serve as an alternative to the global Muslim Brotherhood movement; additionally, to begin the long internal hard work of reform of those Islamic theologies that are incompatible with the principles of our U.S. Constitution.
Collaborate with intelligence and law enforcement to meet the growing request for education on Islamic issues.
Educate the private and public sectors about the ideology of political Islam and the urgency of related Islamic reform issues through writings, radio and media interviews, and public forum participation.
We rely on your generous financial support. Together we must preserve America’s commitment to freedom and national security for future generations. Your support and partnership are vital. Please consider making a gift today.
Sincerely,
M. Zuhdi Jasser,
Founder and President
