Protecting Muslim Civil and Human Rights in America:The Role of Islamic, National, and International Organizations

Source: (2007) Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs. 27(3):387-400.

The focus of this article is on examining the civil and human rights of Muslims in
America and the bias and prejudice that they encounter in their local communities.
The paper includes a list of Muslim, national, and international civil and human
rights organizations, and examines their functions. The significant functions of
these organizations include providing educational opportunities for Muslims, as
well as for non-Muslims, to foster cooperation and promote understanding through
dialogue within and between communities. The importance of Muslim involvement
with, and contribution to, these organizations, is emphasized; and Muslims are
encouraged to access the services of these organizations more fully and in a proactive
manner to help reduce the marginalization they currently face. The significance of
political participation on the part of the Muslim communities in the wider American
society is noted, and the techniques and methods of restorative justice are examined
and recommended for adoption. The paper concludes with the assumption that these
organizations and affiliations can help protect the civil liberties of Muslims in the US
by developing within the community, a political milieu that is conducive to the
protection of human rights and promotion of justice.