America’s largest coalition of Islamist organizations gathered in Washington D.C. on July 13-14 for the 7th Annual National Muslim Advocacy Day. The U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), a suspected proxy of the Turkish government, led over 300 delegates to lobby members of Congress in support of its legislative priorities.
USCMO is an umbrella of Islamist nonprofits and civic action groups that represent an extreme cross-section of political interests. Many of the organizations hail from foreign Islamist movements that encourage political participation as a means to advance theocratic reforms.
Meeting with over 200 elected officials and Congressional staffers, USCMO lobbied for the following legislative measures:
- HOLD CVE ACCOUNTABLE: Support FY 2023 Appropriations request language seeking stronger transparency requirements for the DHS’s Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) – the newest iteration of DHS’s Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) grant initiative, which discriminatorily targeted Muslims in a misguided attempt to identify individuals who might commit acts of terrorism.
- CITIZENSHIP FOR AFGHAN EVACUEES: Co-sponsor the Afghan Adjustment Act, supported by Rep. Earl Blumenauer and Sen. Chris Coons, which would allow the tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees to apply to become lawful permanent residents one year after arrival.
- CANCEL STUDENT DEBT, ZERO INTEREST LOANS: Support canceling all student debt and endorse the American Muslim community’s call for Congress and the White House establish interest-free federal student loans.
- URGE SENATE SUPPORT FOR THE COMBATING INTERNATIONAL ISLAMOPHOBIA ACT (S. 3384): Co-sponsor and urge for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee mark-up and adoption of Senators Cory Booker, Ben Cardin, and Bernie Sanders’ International Combating Islamophobia Act, which would establish a special envoy office at the U.S. State Department to monitor and combat international Islamophobia.