The American Muslim March on Washington Flops

The Muslim Brotherhood front group, Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), proved incapable of drumming up much interest for The American Muslim March on Washington, which turned out to be quite the flop for its organizers on the evening of 23 July 2016. The logistical planning for this “Star Spangled Shariah” program on the National Mall near the Capitol Building began months ago, including a video introducing the event on the 9 May 2016 and a press conference held just 2 1/2 weeks after the 12 June jihadist rampage at the Orlando, Florida nightclub. Effusively portrayed as an opportunity for Muslims to unite “Against terrorism, hate, and violence” and rally for “Peace, Truth, Unity”, the American Muslim March on Washington instead went wobbly in its goal to “send a strong message to the rest of our nation and to the world.” It would appear that the dismal turnout of fewer than 200 people may indicate something of a factional division between Muslim Brotherhood rivals in North America.

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While the Brotherhood leadership in the United States should have had ample time to rally its memberships, neither the United States Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO) nor the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) promoted this gathering, intended to deliver a patriotic-themed taqiyya narrative about a peaceful Islam after a series of bloody jihadist attacks in the U.S. and Europe. A possible internal conflict between the leadership of ISNA and USCMO members has resulted (thus far) in ISNA still declining to become a member of the USCMO long after the announcement of its formation in March 2014.

Likewise during the recent Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) – Muslim American Society (MAS) conference over the 2016 Memorial Day weekend in Baltimore, Maryland, there was an opportunity for the Muslim Brotherhood leadership to promote and encourage members to support this upcoming march in the nation’s capital. Despite ready access to a host of social media resources amply used for other events, the USCMO and CAIR did not go out of their way to dedicate time or promote The American Muslim March on Washington.

Indicators of such a divide have surfaced previously. In August 2014, Tariq Ramadan slammed ISNA when he said, “We cannot be forever silent: what kind of active and responsible citizenship does the ISNA leadership offer young American Muslims? What kind of example? That of silent, fearful sycophants–or of free, public-spirited citizens who, while defending the values of human dignity and justice, serve their country in the most sincere and critical way? That of the unconditional loyalty of the timorous, or the critical loyalty of free individuals? To attend the ISNA convention would be to endorse their silence.”

Event screenshot showing partners for the American Muslim March on Washington

Noted speakers on the agenda for The American Muslim on Washington slated to last from 5pm – 9:30pm included Imam Mohamed Magid (Executive Director, All Dulles Area Muslim Society), Dr. Muzamil Siddiqui (member of ISNA Majlis Ash-Shura and Fiqh Council of North America), Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed (ISNA National Director, Office of Interfaith and Community Alliances). Representation from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) included SSA Melanie Jimenez and Sarah Saenz. Paul Monteiro, an Obama-appointed former Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, represented the U.S. Department of Justice. This sparsely-attended ISNA event never drew the tens of thousands Muslims billed by its organizers. The deafening silence from Muslims in America who failed to attend and criticize the Islamic State’s adherence to shariah speaks volumes.

The Muslim Brotherhood leadership obviously faces a significant public relations challenge trying simultaneously to present themselves as peaceful, civil rights-oriented activists, while balancing their solidarity with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in support of his dreams for a shariah-compliant neo-Ottoman Empire. The steady drumbeat of Islamic terrorists pledging allegiance to the Islamic State before slaughtering innocent civilians cannot be helping the Muslim image much either. Evidently, The American Muslim March on Washington was either just not a top priority, proving too difficult to muster the voice of Muslims, or the organizers bit off more than they could chew without the support of the USCMO and CAIR.