Nearly 25,000 people gathered in Baltimore for the annual Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) conference, held just days after a deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego that killed three people. The event became a platform for community leaders to call for resilience and political engagement.
“We owe them more than condolences. We owe them resolve,” said Lena Masri, a lawyer with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). She detailed how the victims — security guard Amin Abdullah, caretaker Mansour Kaziha, and neighbor Nadir Awad — sacrificed their lives to protect others, with Abdullah exchanging fire with the attackers.
The conference was saturated with Palestinian symbols, from watermelon-emblazoned bags to keffiyeh scarves. Attendees wrote messages of solidarity on a tent destined for Gaza via the charity Life for Relief and Development. Speakers drew direct links between rising Islamophobia in the US and Israel’s military actions in Gaza and the West Bank.
“They want to shut this down, so it’s a direct connection,” said Altaf Husain, a professor at Howard University, referring to efforts to silence criticism of Israel. He noted that the community raised over $3.5 million for the victims’ families and boosted security at mosques.
ICNA President Saad Kazmi emphasized that the shooting only strengthened the community’s resolve. “If anything came out of this, it is that there are more attendees to the masjid,” he said. The conference featured three layers of security: ICNA guards, a private firm, and local law enforcement.
Meanwhile, Islamophobic rhetoric is escalating. Over 60 members of Congress have joined the Sharia-Free America Caucus, which CAIR labels a hate group. Texas and Florida have designated CAIR a “terrorist” organization, though a federal judge blocked Florida’s order, noting it “targets one of America’s largest Muslim civil rights organizations.”
Palestinian immigrant Leqaa Kordia, who spent over a year in ICE detention for her activism, told attendees: “Speaking up comes with a cost… but silence costs even more.” She urged the community to remain politically active despite risks.
The conference concluded with calls to vote, organize, and donate to protect Muslim civil rights and support Palestine. “Rights are a territory you have to occupy,” said Imam Tom Facchine. “If you don’t, it will be taken from you.”
Source: www.aljazeera.com