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| American Islamic Congress Fact Sheet |
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The American Islamic Congress (AIC) is a civil rights organization promoting tolerance and the exchange of ideas among Muslims and between other peoples.
Mission:
- AIC is a non-religious civic initiative challenging increasingly negative perceptions by advocating responsible Muslim leadership and ‘two-way’ interfaith understanding.
- As Muslim-Americans, thriving amidst America's open multicultural society and civil liberties, we must offer a new example for the global Muslim community.
- We are not afraid to advocate unequivocally for women's equality, free expression, and nonviolence - making no apologies for terrorism, which primarily claims Muslim lives.
Leadership:
- AIC runs offices in Washington, Boston, Egypt, and Iraq, with over 10 full-time staffers - all under the age of 40 - and a $780,000 annual budget.
- Our board of directors unites diverse religious, academic, political, and humanitarian leaders, including non-Muslims; we count over 2,000 supporters in the US alone.
- AIC is a non-partisan 501c(3) non-profit funded through donations from citizens of all backgrounds, foundation grants, and public funds; AIC does not receive Saudi funding.
- Our leaders advocate in prominent media outlets, including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Herald Tribune, NPR, CNN, CBS, Fox, MSNBC, BBC, and Al-Jazeera.
Action:
- AIC leads a monthly Capitol Hill Distinguished Speakers Series on Muslim affairs, sponsored by the Congressional Religious Freedom and Anti-Terrorism caucuses.
- Our Mideast civil rights initiative, HAMSA, has engaged 3,000 young thinkers via an annual essay contest, trained over 100 young leaders at regional seminars (despite restrictions), and educates thousands via an edgy bi-weekly e-alert, The CRIME Report.
- AIC's new US campus initiative, Project Nur ('enlightenment'), promotes positive Muslim student leadership and has launched four chapters at prominent US universities.
- We spearheaded the successful campaign to secure a 25% quota for Iraqi women in government positions and independently operate a $100,000 local micro-grant program supporting 200 women civic leaders in the dangerous environment of southern Iraq.
- AIC joins people of all faiths to oppose bigotry, including: lecturing at over 100 interfaith events; speaking before 15,000 people rallying on Darfur; assisting Freedom House research hate speech in curricula; and supporting workplace diversity protections.
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