(WASHINGTON, D.C., 1/18/2016) –The US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), a coalition of leading national and local American Muslim organizations, today announced plans to host the second annual National Muslim Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on April 18, 2016.
Expected to draw hundreds of Muslim delegates from across the nation, this one-day event is open to representatives of all national, state and local Muslim organizations and communities.
The event is designed to connect national, regional and state Muslim organizations and community members with their elected representatives in Congress.
USCMO’S Advocacy day will focus on promoting a legislative agenda in support of equality and social justice issues that will be of benefit to all Americans, regardless of faith or background.
The first National Muslim Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill took place in April of last year and was attended by 280 delegates from more than 20 states who met with some 200 congressional offices – one third of the House of Representatives and almost half of the Senate.
“Building off the success of our first National Muslim Advocacy Day, we hope to double the number of American Muslim community members meeting with elected officials and their staff on Capitol Hill,” said Oussama Jammal, Secretary General of USCMO. “This coming April, Congress will once again have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with their Muslim constituents.”
“At a time when Congress is posed to adopt a number of bills that will impact the American Muslim community’s ability to counter violent extremism on its own terms and to travel internationally, it is important to connect legislators with the Muslim communities they represent,” said Robert McCaw, chairman of the USCMO Advocacy Day Steering Committee.
McCaw added: “We’ve already demonstrated that American Muslims can tip elections in key swing states and ‘move the needle’ in Congress on issues of great importance to our community. Now more than ever, we must work to politically empower Muslims so that they speak effectively to the issues that impact them most.”
USCMO recently announced plans for outreach and civic empowerment initiatives, including a voter registration drive, commitment to address growing Islamophobia in America and to enhance national security through the promotion of freedom and justice.
USCMO will soon launch a registration website to prepare Muslim delegates for their congressional meetings. The coalition will also hold a series of online training seminars on effective advocacy techniques and will provide support in scheduling congressional meetings.
On the day of the event, Muslim delegates will be offered a series of seminars on Capitol Hill covering best practices for meeting with elected representatives and how to discuss the day’s advocacy issues.
For more information about the event or how your Muslim organization or community can participate, please contact the USCMO at:advocacy@uscmo.org.
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