Donald Trump is arguably the most controversial presidential candidate the United States has had in a very long while. One of his most controversial comments was given as a reaction to the terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California last December 2, 2015 that killed 14 people and gravely injured 22 others. Trump’s widely condemned statement said that all Muslims should be completely banned from entering the United States until all the details of the attack are made clear.

The Mosque Invite

A few days after the controversial statement, AMCC President Atif Fareed along with representatives from 13 local Muslim groups invited Trump to come to a mosque and have a sit down with them. Fareed believes that Trump was only able to utter such statement because he is too ignorant of what Islam truly stands for. Fareed further said that the fact that Trump thinks that all Muslims wanting to visit or migrate to the US have horrible things in their mind shows that Trump has a lot to learn about the religion. Fareed guarantees that Trump will definitely change his mind when he hears what the Muslim community representatives have to say.

Build and Don’t Burn Bridges

Atif Fareed does not expect Donald Trump to answer their invite but he has a particular advice for him. He tells Trump to build bridges instead of burning them. As a presidential candidate, Trump should make it his responsibility to help Muslims and non-Muslims in the country get along with one another. Currently, all Trump is doing is fuelling a divide that may split the nation in two. American Muslims know they are a minority and they respect people of other faith. In turn, they hope that they will also receive the respect that they deserve.

Trump and Racism

Muslim leaders not only in America but all around the world are saying that Trump is becoming part of the problem by fueling racism against Muslims. He has become a major contributor to making the public, especially the youth; think that all Muslims are terrorists. Nothing can be further from the truth. Muslims all over the world have consistently denounced any and all kinds of terror attacks. Terrorists have no religion. Terrorists are merely hiding behind a version of Islam that they have already twisted and defiled beyond recognition.

The AMCC is encouraging all mosques and Muslim centers to be more transparent in helping nearby communities to help make people like Trump learn that not all Muslims in America are there to spill American blood.