Chicago (US): The American Federation of Muslims of India (AFMI) hosted its 32nd annual conference. The conference expressed worry over the rise of right-wing fanaticism and hate speech in India under the BJP regime, noting that it “had had a serious psychological impact on Muslims and other minorities” in that country.
Although the organization was founded by American Muslims of Indian descent and has always prioritized education, it has recently expressed worry about “infringing upon the rights of the minorities and members of civil rights organizations.”
“The hate-filled atmosphere has sparked phobias, worries, and an atmosphere of insecurity. There is an urgent need to put an end to the periodic hate speeches and violence against Muslims and other marginalized communities,” said AFMI President Dr. M Qutubuddin.
Dr. Qutubuddin also asked people to speak out against injustice and utilize all nonviolent measures at their disposal to bring about change.
The Annual Education Convention was held on October 22, in the Chicago suburb of Bensenville, and the theme was ‘Our Stories are Our Future: The Power of Narrative to Reimagine’.
With hundreds of thousands of kids served, AFMI has built schools in various Indian communities and adopted several others over the past 33 years. After two years of virtual conferences in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 constraints, the convention resumed in 2022.
The convention’s major objective was to bring together Indian Muslims living in the USA to promote growth and unity among them.
Khaled Al Maeena, a well-known media, and political analyst and the former editor of Arab News, spoke to the convention via video conferencing and noted that the world is grappling with several problems, such as poverty and hunger, and that it is crucial for those who desire peace and tolerance to come together at occasions like the one held in Chicago.
Al Maeena also praised AFMI for its initiatives to increase knowledge and education among India’s minority communities.
At the event, Sameer Quraishi received the “Excellence of Leadership Award” on Khaled Al Maeena’s behalf.
A morning and an evening session were held during the convention. In one of the morning sessions, the topic of Indian Islamic Intellectual History Before Colonization was discussed. Maheen Ahmed, Dr. Imran Khan, and Amena Iqbal gave presentations on the topic of Islamophobia and how it affects Muslim youth in India and the United States, with a discussion by Saaleh Baseer.
That evening also featured the annual gala and convention. Live speeches, a sit-down dinner, an awards ceremony, and a reception were all part of the event. Numerous professors, authors, thinkers, decision-makers, activists, and professionals received prizes.
Several people got recognition, including Azhar Usman, Thenmozhi Soundarajan, Rummana Hussain, Ruchira Gupta, Shaikh Noman Hussain, Secretary of State Jesse White, State Representative and Congress Candidate Delia Ramirez, Rajinder Singh Mago, Khawaja Moin Uddin, Asad Khan, and others.
The conference was streamed and broadcast to community members across the world while outside speakers delivered their speeches to the audience through a video link.
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