JEDDAH, 6 February 2007 — A group of American Muslim citizen ambassadors shared their experiences and views on being Muslims in the US, especially post 9/11, with journalists at the US Consulate in Jeddah.
The four Muslims are part of the Citizen Dialogue Program of the US Embassy’s Speaker Initiative that facilitates person-to-person contact and provides American Muslim citizen ambassadors.
The group said that although there was an increased fear of Islam after 9/11 there was also an increased interest in the religion and that American Muslims have capitalized on this through lectures, panel discussions, interviews, documentaries and books. However, there is a need for Muslims to reform themselves in order to correct misconceptions caused by those who tarnish the image of Islam through bad practices.
The group added that Muslims also needed to reach out more to the wider community and be more politically active. Even the media, which is often blamed for spreading misconceptions and is accused of being prejudiced and biased, could be changed with better efforts to communicate and provide information.
The four had an opportunity to meet Saudi intellectuals and academics last night. Today they will be in Makkah speaking to university students there and meeting members of a community service organization.
