11/23/2016 This Thanksgiving, We Remain Grateful – and Determined

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Dear Friend of AIFD:

As Americans of every religion, ethnicity, culture, and family structure prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, we write to express our gratitude to the many who have supported us over the years. Without your solidarity, we would not be able to do the work we do.

Even in times of turmoil and tension, our country remains one of the most blessed, abundant and promising places the world has ever known. On this Thanksgiving, we remain ever focused on protecting and advancing the American vision of liberty and justice for all, through our efforts to combat Islamism and protect religious freedom and other universal human rights.

This holiday season, we also have an exciting announcement to make: this year, we will be launching our first ever AIFD Courage Awards. AIFD’s inaugural Courage Awards are given to individuals who have shone a light on some of the most urgent matters of our time, and whose work for universal human rights in the face of staunch opposition has inspired action toward positive change.

We have chosen winners in the fields of activism, media and philanthropy, with special focus on those who have demonstrated a willingness to dissent with their own identity groups in order to protect the rights of the most vulnerable. Winners have been contacted, and we will soon be introducing them to you!

As we reflect on our blessings this Thanksgiving, we also must remain focused on the work we still have to do. While it is easy and natural to become distracted by what has dominated the media, we must remember that the perils of radical Islam and the malice of fascism continue to advance. While we at AIFD remain committed to our efforts, we need your support to continue to advance our mission.

We have made tremendous strides with few resources, and must this year make a special appeal to our friends and followers: can you contribute to support our cause today? You contribution is tax-deductible in the United States – and 100% of your gift goes directly to our work. Plus, you will receive regular updates from our team about the efforts we’re making and our progress. Please click here to make your contribution – and please know that no amount is too small. I look forward to thanking you for your support.

I also invite you to check out our new website, which we’ve been working on over the last several months.

We at Team AIFD (as we call ourselves!) wish you a happy, safe, and blessed Thanksgiving.

 

Yours in liberty.

 

Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser

11/16/2016 AIFD Statement on the Election of Donald J. Trump to the Presidency of the United States of America

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Phoenix, AZ, (November 16, 2016) Last week, Americans flocked to the polls to exercise our hard-won right to vote in free and fair elections. The resulting election of Donald J. Trump has resulted in a vigorous national discussion about some of the most sensitive and significant issues facing Americans today.

As a non-partisan organization and an American nonprofit organization, the American Islamic Forum for Democracy doesn’t endorse candidates. We work to educate the public about the issues important to Muslims devoted to reform, universal human rights, and individual liberty. Our staff and members include conservatives, liberals, and every group in between. Our shared values unite us – and it is in this spirit of unity that we have remained committed to advancing our mission regardless of the political climate we find ourselves in.

Throughout the presidential campaign, members of our organization were critical of both Secretary Clinton and President-elect Trump’s approaches to some of our issues of reform, liberty and the defeat of Islamism at home and abroad. Indeed, we have been critical of politicians from both sides of the aisle since our founding. As always, regardless of who or which party wins we will help our nation and our mission move forward. We will continue to speak and act in accordance with our values.

We will encourage the coming administration to engage reformist and liberty-minded Muslims rather than Islamists at home and abroad, just as we currently do. We will hold the new administration accountable just as we have with President Obama and did with President Bush. Every new administration is a possibility to engage the American public in new ways, and we will remain steadfast in our dedication to doing all we can to preserve and protect the values of liberty, freedom, and universal human rights.

As American Muslims, we are particularly sensitive to the fact that many of us have family and loved ones in places where free and fair elections are not yet a reality. We are proud and blessed to live in a country where women and men, and people of all faiths, belief systems, sexual orientations and identities can vote – and can do so without fear. We are grateful for our freedoms and for the opportunity to protect them through conducting our work with conviction and integrity.

 

About AIFD

The American Islamic Forum for Democracy is a think tank dedicated to providing an American Muslim voice advocating genuine Muslim reform against Islamism and the ideologies which fuel global Muslim radicalization. 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. This mission is derived from a love for America and a love of our faith of Islam. AIFD believes that Muslims can better practice Islam in an environment that protects the rights of an individual to practice their faith as they choose.M Zuhdi Jasser, REFORM THIS! Podcast host for The Blaze Radio Network, President American Islamic Forum for Democracy, co-founder Muslim Reform Movement, former US Navy Lieutenant Commander, and author of “A Battle for the Soul of Islam”

 

 About Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser

Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser is the president and founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, a think tank dedicated to protecting American national security against the global threat of Islamism. AIFD promotes reform-minded Muslim voices for liberty, and is shaking the hold which Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood have upon Muslim leadership. Dr. Jasser is the author of “A Battle for the Soul of Islam: An American Muslim Patriot’s Fight to Save His Faith.” He is also a Co-Founder of the Muslim Reform Movement. Dr. Zuhdi Jasser is the host of “Reform This!” on the Blaze Radio Network.

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