Muslim Caucus announces plan to 'build our power'

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Two decades ago, Omar M. Ahmad, then the chairman of the terror-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations, was reported to have told a gathering of Muslims that their purpose for being in America was to help make the Quran the highest authority in the nation.

Omar and other CAIR leaders have denied he made the statement, but WND found the reporter and her editors stood by the story, refuting CAIR's claim that they had retracted it.

In February, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., boasted in a speech to CAIR's Chicago chapter of the presence of Muslims in Congress.

"They always said the Muslims are coming. Guess what, I think we're here," she said to cheers.

"We’re not only everywhere in all kinds of different governments but, mashallah, we’re in the United States Congress.”

Mashallah means "what Allah wanted has happened."

Now, a new organization has formed with the express goal of expanding Muslim power in America.

In an email message on Tuesday, the Muslim Caucus invited those interested to join Tlaib; Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Muslim Democrat from Minnesota; Keith Ellison, a Muslim former congressman from Minnesota; and others "to develop a clear roadmap for implementing national organizing structure and policy agenda that centers and organizes Muslim American (sic)."

The group will host July 23-24 a "national gathering of American Muslims in politics."

"The goal of the conference is to engage Muslim voters and begin building long-term Muslim American electoral power at the local, state, and national level to build our power beyond 2020 so the multi-ethnic, multi-racial Muslim constituencies can unite as one constituency across America," according to the group.

Invited are leaders of local and national Muslim-led organizations, Muslim organizers, activists, elected officials and others to "strategize for 2020."

The events will take palace at the National Housing Center in Washington, D.C.

Panel discussion topics include "Impacts of Phobia in Our Civic and Political Discourse," "Facing Anti-Muslim Campaigns Head On and Winning," "The Future is Now: How Young Muslims are Changing Our Democracy" and "Facts Not Fear: Who are American Muslims?"

Muslim Caucus President Ghazala Salam said that in a "political climate characterized by nationalistic, xenophobic, racist and anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic rhetoric, we need power grounded in political education, community self-determination, civic participation, and local organizing."

"As a diverse national community, we need to come together and strategize how to claim our political power ahead of 2020," he said.

The Muslim Caucus web page declares it aims to "build the power of the people."

"Since our country's inception, race and religious based barriers have hindered the fulfillment of our shared values and many of these barriers persist today in the form of Islamophobia. This is our moment to organize locally, regionally, and nationally to build our power and take action against the systemic racism and religious discrimination that threaten our civil and constitutional rights as Americanism," said the organization.

WND reported in 2006 Ahmad's alleged assertion of Muslim political supremacy alarmed some Muslim leaders in the United States.

Mike Ghouse, president of a Dallas-based group called World Muslim Congress, told colleagues in emails that Ahmad allegedly has made a "dangerously militant statement."

He explained at the time, "The harsh reality [that] we do not want to hear and acknowledge [is] that no Muslim in America or anywhere else in the world wants to live in an Islamic nation."

Earlier this year, however, CAIR's political success was demonstrated in a video showing some of its top leaders, including Executive Director Nihad Awad, entered Tlaib's office on Capitol Hill.

Meanwhile, Rep. Omar persuaded the House to change its rule banning headwear, allowing her to wear an Islamic hijab.

Omar and Tlaib repeatedly have called for Trump to be removed from office. Tlaib, on the night of her election, lashed out at him, vowing she would impeach the "m-----f-----."

The Muslim Caucus states that it chose to work with the Democratic Party in its effort to "build the civic and electoral power of Muslim Americans."

"With our vast network of resources and chapters, we aim to develop a powerful and collective voice for politically active Muslims. … Recognized as the caucus building a voice for Muslims within the Democratic party the Muslim Caucus dedicates it's (sic) time to three primary sectors of engagement: informing, participating, and organizing within and outside of the DNC. Currently, the Muslim Caucus maintains a presence in 15 states and territories, including the District of Columbia, as well as Muslim Democrats abroad."

CAIR was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terror-funding trial.