M. Zuhdi Jasser: ‘We thank God every day for the NYPD’

At One Police Plaza today, a broad group of patriotic North American Muslims stood together to support the brave work of the NYPD. Our reform-minded American Islamic Leadership Coalition (AILC) came from over 10 states and provinces of the U.S. and Canada to put an end to the one-sided international media coverage of attacks against the most successful and legal counter-terrorism programs of the NYPD.

For too long, the NYPD has come under a systematic and coordinated assault by highly-politicized Islamist organizations like the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) and their enablers, intent on dismantling the NYPD’s programs. These groups would prefer to see American Muslims shackled to a collective mindset of victimization, rather than live up to our Muslim responsibility of reforming the radicalizing nature of Islamist ideas.

In fact, our anti-Islamist Muslims are often the primary targets of radical groups. As a silent majority of American Muslims, we thank God every day for the NYPD.

It is long overdue that Americans realize that false fears from Islamist groups of Islamophobia and political correctness are a smoke screen to avoid the tough work of reform and counter-radicalization.

Today was a game changer in America’s understanding of the diversity of American Muslim communities and the necessary work of the NYPD.

M. Zuhdi Jasser is President of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy and co-founder of the American Islamic Leadership Coalition.