Source: Voice of America
On October 23, 2003 Voice of America reported that "since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Muslim activists in the United States have increasingly talked about the importance of entering the political stage on the local, state and national levels to combat stereotypes and preserve civil rights. Arab and Muslim Americans are running for office in many electoral districts across the country. But, these ambitious candidates do not highlight their ethnicity or religion in the campaign. Instead, they present themselves as citizens with new solutions for their communities' old problems." According to Kamal NawashKamal Nawash, 33, an independent running as a Republican for the Virginia State Senate, Muslim and American cultures today misunderstand each other. "' You have Arab and Muslim world that thinks that America hates them which us totally wrong. And you have America that thinks that Arabs and Muslims hate them, which I think is also wrong. I represent a very small minority of people in the United States that understand both cultures fluently and I believe I can help bridge the gap between of misunderstanding.' Mr. Nawash says immigrants are not generally very active in politics... and new arrivals from Muslim and Arab countries are no exception. But according to Nasser Beydoun, executive director of the American Arab Chamber of Commerce in Detroit, a city with a large Arab population, that's changing. 'It is an evolutionary process of all immigrants,' he said. 'They came here, they look for their social organizations, their religious organizations, and then they move forward to start looking at political organizations they need to help them protect their rights as Americans and give them the influence they need in the political structure.'"