Muslim Americans Gather for Picnic and Political Empowerment in Virginia

August 25, 2002

Source: The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60787-2002Aug25.html

On August 25, 2002 The Washington Post reported that "Muslim Americans from more than 20 countries gathered at a Reston [Virginia] park yesterday for an old-fashioned picnic, eating grilled burgers and watermelon and listening to appeals to vote in the upcoming election... Sponsors of the event at Lake Fairfax Park, which included several area mosques and national Muslim associations, say their aim is 'to educate the Muslim population on the idea of empowerment,' according to Ashraf Sabrin, director of voter registration for the Council on American-Islamic Relations... Encouraging political activism among the Washington area's Muslim community, one of the fastest-growing in the country, was a primary reason behind yesterday's picnic... The issue of civil liberties is the main point of discussion in the Muslim community, especially what many believe is illegal detention of Muslims arrested after the terrorist attacks."