Hello, everyone. Im the Media Public Affairs director for the Public Affairs council. Attending the round table. Esteemedateful to the panelist who are agreeing to speak on the critical and timely to all of the viewers who are watching on cspan2 and cspan radio. We would like for the panel to be as interactive as possible. The table foron the guest here in house to make questions for the q a. Arelso for the viewers who watching on tv please tweet us questions at askmpmc. Pass the mike on, i would just like to say a few mpac. About it is a national Public Affairs organization that works to pro mote and strengthen pluralism for the American Public. Increasingthrough understanding and working on policies that affect our community. We four policy areas that work on are National Security immigration,erty, human security, as well as religious freedom. For our purposes here on the panel, we will be discussing the how tof extremistism and counter isis. It has been the position for robust approach to terrorism between foreign and domestic is necessary. At the same time, the nation can when thetruly secure Civil Liberties of any community are curtailed. And without taking a holistic addressing all forms of terrorism. State, and, federal, local government should never censor their engagement through the lens of National Security alone. With that said, i would like to officiallye mike to begin the panel. Thank you. Were here today to talk about off debunked and still wide ly used clash of that the westmyth and islam are incompatible and further theres a war between islam and the west. Recently weve seen a number of policies and announcements with andrds to both Domestic International issues. Trump recognizing jerusalem as the capitol of israel, the securityn, a National Announcement to be announced later today, and the shift from countering violent extremism that focuses on all forms to on the islamicng extremism. Just to name a few. Seeing in my opinion the implementation of a white agenda. Ist this seems like it is the whenent to address 2040 white americans will no longer be the majority in america. Need to have serious policy discussions about had this. We need to engage our members in on capitol hill. We need to engage the think tank engage Civil Society to really talk about the impact of on our National Security. So all of these policies announcementsand have happened and are happening in a time when we seize a nation terms with los angeles, what happened in springs, southern texas. Again these are just attacks and few. Ents just to name a and against the backdrop of a president who uses the power of his digital bully pulpit to bully minority communities daily. Today like i mentioned earlier, President Trump is going to be securityg his national strategy. And from what we know, his strategy will focus on four area s. Defending the homeland, american americany, advancing influence, and peace through strength. Reports, one passenger of the draft strategy reads, and i quote, the united rejects bigotry, ignorance, and oppression. Future built on the values as one american people. An active and concerned american is the fundamental requirement for a free and resilient nation. Our society has protected the free press, free speech, and free thought. No external threat must be allow ed to shake the commitment of the americans to the value, undermine the system of government, or divide the nation i think theres a lot to un there in the one passage. I want to focus on one point. Takes back to the theme of todays panel. Thats that this president perpetuate the myth the west are in compatible. In choosing to agrees the first to saudi travels arabia and overlooking talking directly with american muslims here at home. And the this lie president s constant contradictions impact the american muslim communities . Well be focusing on that question and more with our esteemed panelist today. I would like to introduce them. Have dr. Shadi hamid. Right we have salam almar ayati, and to my far right have former white appointee and most recent ly the u. S. Deputy special Israeli Palestinian negotiations. We would like to start the Panel Opening remarks from all of our panelist. This to be as endangered conversation as possible. Time for questions and answers later. Hoda. Nk you, i just want to jump into two all bethat we should looking at in terms of looking at the Trump Administrations agenda. Security is the departure policylongstanding u. S. That was arctic articulated on 9 of the 2015 National Security strategy. States, and i quote, we reject the lie that america is islam. With and the question to the Trump Administration is that does it that policy, because the rhetoric and the policies are saying exactly the opposite. That the United States is not just at war with violent groups, but it is at war with islam. Are entering that era, we are in a very dangerous part of our own history and of World History for that matter. So thats the first thing that not just inok at terms of the introduction and peopless statements, of that may backtrack from what the president himself may tweet. What is the actual policy . What are the actions . Way is our country going as it relates to the islam that matter. On for the second departure is another long standing it is from another longstanding policy articulatirst arctic ed by ambassador edward in the early 1990s. Ambassador ander the former am bad door to syria u. S. Ambassador to syria and israel at the tile. He said theres a twotrack approach in the National Security as it relates to terrorism. Bring perpetrators to justice and secondly to deal causes thatte create the environment to make terrorism more of a reality. To deal with social politicaller s and deal with corruption and war and weak central governments. This new look at National Security strategy on how it relates to all of the above. Does not address those isues what we should expect more war that will cause more morecan tax dollars and lives all together. Without any real sense of country. For our it is amazing that as we see isis have less capability for Terrorists Attack s, in other words they are now. Trucks and very primitive methods of violence. That as they lose the ability for reek ing havoc, the american more hysterical about the threat of isis. It should be the opposite. As we reduce the ability of terrorists groups, the american secure. Hould feel more if it does not feel more secure, theres a problem at at the top in terms of leadership. That goes to what hoda was say ing. Were not having a real conversation about the issues in terms of policy discourse. A senseer two theres that this administration wants himo on the warpath against nothing is against him. And let me explain that in more detail then. Is right when she said that we are witnessing the of a White Nationalist agenda in u. S. Policy. Policy based on ideology values. Sed on it is a policy thats based on fear that a group of americans are going to lose power as to sharing powers with other americans, they are build ing walls and calling for bans, and they are war. Ments that does not bode well for the National Security. My opinion is in also that religious nationalist is an international problem. Are witnessing white religious nationalism in america witnessingso muslim religious nationalist a broad. We are witnessing injuryish religious National Nationalism in israel. What is happening then is that the extremist are dictating the direction of the future. Not the mainstream. And if this is administration and future administration do not figure out a way to bring back conversations about religion as opposed to only extremist about schedule religion, then it is going to stronger foothold in america as well as what we are witnessing abroad. Theer two, we are under threat of eroding American Value s as it relates not just to security, but a number of policy issues. The first and foremost is the equality underof the law. If we lose equality under the aboutile were talking the rule of law, then people asl look at the rule of law an instrument of oppression. Thats whats happening abroad. This is what we are in danger of entering in our country here. In power will talk about the rule of law. It will be a way to intimidate violence and the arrest of people. People who are political dissent intimidated. For example, in the United States theres something called antibds, boycott divestment in the israel territory. Becauses powers that be how means ofegislative antibds, those who are express ing their right to pro israeli policy of the treatment of palestinians are going to be intimidated and silenced and arrested if they boycott divestment sanctions. Thats just a small example of whats happening in the country today. Then theres the other problem policy thatsecurity is void of the initiatives. Communities involved in this course on these issues, surveillance,e more informants, more arrests, and people feeling less and less secure. There needs to be a means of having communities involved in the discussion and example is the new york state, the state of a counteras announced Terrorism Commission and again we have a number of Law Enforcement people involved. Communitybased organizations involved in the discussion. Another point thats very troubling. Thats that the trump killingration is partnership between Law Enforcement and communities the country. What weve been working on in the last 20 years in partnership with the Law Enforcement is eroded. Theres less of a public trust toward Law Enforcement. That does not bode well either for any serious or perspective a policy orer it is violent extremism or policy on looking forat is the interest of our country. That if thent is United States government wants with the notion that america is at world. This is what started by groups isis and al al al qaeda as popularto generate the ity. They are fighting america. America is at war with islam. Government istes adding more fuel to the idea. On thesis is defeated battle field, it is looking for other ways. There might be another group that might rise who will be the more extreme version of isis. Witnessedhat weve historicalically. I want to go back in history. The afghani people sacrificed a million lives to union thatsoviet lead to our country, the united wares victory, and the cold , did we show any gratitude . Did we say thank you to the afghani people . Cia, ourad our intelligence agencies, sent al the line against the soviets. Qaeda. To the rise of al and what we saw there was was basically trash ed. We did not offer any piece dividends to the afghani people. Chaos, civilre strife, and a destruction of their society. When the iraqi people and the people stood up against isis that lead to the defeat of tos, are we saying thank you them . As an american people. No, we are not. Simple gesture to say thank you for being on the side america against these forces that definitely take on more than any lives altogether. There are more muslims lives isissuffer at the hands of than other violent there are more muslim lives that suffer at hands of isis than anyone else. Do we say thank you to them . No, we tell them there is a travel ban, we want to build more walls, and we have more antimuslim rhetoric. This does not work well for American International interests or american domestic issues. So, i leave with that very sobering and unfortunate reality that i see here and on the horizon. On theyou comment rhetoric and the policies that we see coming out of the Trump Administration and the impact that that has on islamist movements in muslim majority countries and how that impacts the American Muslim Community . First of all, thank you to the muslim Public Affairs council for having me. The first thing i want to say us on this fundamental of his islam compatible with the west . If you look at various elections in western democracy of the u. S. , islam and muslims have in some ways become the primary. If you look at partisan divides, people are debating about what of thentially 1 to 5 population in most western democracies. It is an interesting question about how a relatively small minority has become such an controversy ing our democratic contest context today. This is why does not just about the role of american muslims in the west. It becomes at the very heart of what it means to be a democracy and how we live with difference in these ids. Proof if we want proof that muslims and the west are compatible there are different islams and it is a complex religion if we look at american muslims and the four of us here are american muslims, that that by itself is proof of the compatibility. If we look at how american muslims have been relatively well integrated, there has been a sense that you can be fully muslim and fully american without having to choose, where in europe it has been more complicated, where there is a tension sometimes between being french and being muslim. Asked to betimes more secular or less religious. We are a country that religiouss expressions in public life and we dont see that as something to be thought you can be christian, muslim, jewish, and express that in the public one of thet has been very important aspects of american identity. For the first time at least in recent memory, we have an administration that wants to challenge that basic idea. Says you have to choose to be american over being muslim. If muslims expressed their resume religiosity or say shariag positive about and all sharia is his muslim if we havetion muslim politicians allowing to disavow sharia, they will not how to does not know how to pray or fast or go on pilgrimage. Were moving into dangerous rhetoric that has more in common with europe with the past, in terms of racism in the european context. It is not something very indigenous to the American Experience and to the muslim experience of living here. When it comes to the foreign isis, as isis is on the back foot and as we have andess in fighting isis limiting its territory, isis will feel more need to show that it is still relevant. We will see more terrorist attacks unfortunately. We have to do everything we can to limit that, but it is something that we will have to live with in the foreseeable future. This idea that terrorism can disappear is disconnected. We will see politicians using this specter of terrorist attacks to target american muslims and to question their americanness. What im really worried about is that every time this happens for , americaneable future muslims will come under scrutiny and i think it goes beyond that. Desire to askis a american muslims to condemn terrorism every time it happens. There might be some disagreements on how to do this in the Muslim Community. Groups should be on the forefront of speaking out about what islam stands for and does how islam andand extremism are not the same and are at odds with each other. When it comes to individual muslims, this idea that there is an expectation of for us as individuals to condemn a terrorism every time there is an attack, i think that is problematic. It should not go without saying that it should go without saying that im against terrorism by virtue of saying am american. They should assume from the getgo that i oppose whatever terrorist attack against innocent civilians as all americans do. About this idea that individual muslims feel such a responsibility to speak out and that contributes to a sense that there is a collective responsibility. People are always asking us to it is never enough. The last thing i will say about how we counter extremism and radicalism in the broader muslim world, how we think about the how in policy element is riyadh speeches how to counter extremism, fighting extremism. I think all of us in principle agree, but what was so striking about the speeches that you if you look at what we talk about, there is very little substantively on what we should actually do in practice to fight extremism beyond just saying it. This is more than just a rhetorical strategy. Words, you cant fight extremism just by fighting extremism. You have to go to the environment that gives rise to extremism and you have to look beyond the very narrow phenomenon. That means it cannot be a narrow security minded approach. He talked about root causes. That is one way of looking at it. Gives rise to extremism . That is the number one question we have to be asking ourselves. I did not see anything in his strategy that gets at the deeper issue. Terrorism does not just fall out of the sky. It comes out of a particular context. If we look at most of the terrorism we have had to deal with in the west, it draws on the civil wars that we continue to see in syria, iraq, and the list goes on. Civil wars are one of the major drivers of extremism and terrorism. That the twodent countries that isis gained the most ground and where the two countries most riddled by civil war and conflict. Syria and iraq. If we dont have a longerterm strategy to address governance failures, the fact that states are falling apart, the fact that there is no vision for helping the economic and Political Development of these countries, the fact that we no longer even mention publicly the word democracy or political reform, that has been totally put to the side. These elements all get to the broader context. If we have nothing to say about the broader context, then it just becomes a rhetorical strategy of saying radical muslims are bad, extremism is bad. Thank you. I would like to turn it over to you. Same question. How does this myth impact american muslims and what we are seeing now with the recent announcement of recognizing jerusalem as the capital of israel . Sure. Thanks for having me. When i think of this issue of violent extremism, i actually think back to something that happened 22 years ago. My first big wake up call was the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 and i was working a few blocks from the white house. We were all evacuated. That was my first wake up call. I was a young man and i was shaken. Then pennsylvania avenue gottwald off. Got walled off. Then, five or six years later, 9 11. Now today, when i think about violent extremism and safety and another thing that has changed is that i have three young kids, i think about their safety. I think as americans, we need to think about the relative threat to our security and safety. I think as you look at violent extremism in the United States and how it has affected americans domestically, i think there are two big parts to it. There is White Nationalists violent extremism and there is muslim violent extremism. I think we can best address them both by addressing them equally and fairly and i think we as americans are safer when we look at both together and not focus on one or the other. That is the first thing i want to say. The second thing i wanted to say is when looking at the Trump Administration, i think there is this amazing story that goes back half a century. In 1958, there was an africanamerican handyman named jimmy wilson who stole two dollars and change and he was condemned to death in alabama for that. All of a sudden, the enemy of the United States, at that time the soviet union, seized on that and used this new technology of television and made it a major propaganda issue in the cold war. Understanding the importance of that, the president and secretary of state called the governor of alabama and said i dont know what is going on down there, but first of all this sentence does not meet normal standards of justice for the United States and, second of all, it is damaging to National Security. What we saw over the last few months is a president of the United States embracing a candidate in alabama who is outside of the norms of the United States am a witch United States, which instead of fighting against been holding u. S. Values, it was a propaganda victory for americas enemies. Youve got a president embracing extreme rightwing candidates in alabama. Again, very important to understand how we deal domestically effects are standing in the world. Does asking american muslims as individuals to condemn terror make americans safer or make america less safe. The assumption should be that as americans we all condemn these acts. The fact of asking actually helps exasperate the divide and just exacerbate the divide exacerbate the divide and so that is also a real challenge, as well. Does asking american muslims make us to condemn terrorism make us less safe or more safe . I would argue that it makes us less safe. On jerusalem, how is that going to affect things . It is hard to say. I think there are some political leaders in muslimmajority countries that have bigger fish to fry. Thehe other hand, organizations origins of the muslim conference of nations goes back to jerusalem. I think there is an emotional resonance to jerusalem. I think there has long been a notion that jerusalem can and should be a shared city for all and that unless all feel a stake in all feel recognized with a place in jerusalem, it is problematic. One of the things we are seeing is that on the Vice President s Upcoming Trip to the middle east, it is actually the christian minorities in the middle east in egypt, the west bank that are refusing to meet with the Vice President because of the u. S. Actions. Again, but not embracing the concept that jerusalem can and should be a shared city is problematic. Thank you. There is a lot to unpack. I think we can agree that our panelists give us a lot to talk about. I want to talk start with a couple of questions before i open it up to the audience. You both mention dealing with domestic terrorism as an issue that does impact the global perception of america. You both mentioned countering violent extremism as a federal program. Can you talk about or critique and or compare the differences between the Obama Administration and what we are seeing or not seeing coming out of the Trump Administration. In a nutshell, the Trump Administration is anticve. They dont believe in Community Led initiatives. They dont believe in countering the narrative. They dont believe in partnership to deal with the problem of violent extremism. Theirs is still a topdown approach where government is going to dictate the terms to communities and use more surveillance, more informants, heavyhanded Law Enforcement tactics. The Obama Administration was at least trying to see if there is a role were communities can take the lead and our position was that for any kind of policy countering violent extremism, it has to be bottomup, not topdown. It has to be communityled. Communities building resilience and healthy communities. Promoting civic engagement,alking about hot topic issues finding ways to deal with any kind of Mental Health problems in our communities done for the community, by the community. Obviously, the Trump Administration is far away from that. It is interesting that the Trump Administration and the number of Civil Rights Group are both anticve. The trump feels that gives community too much power, whereas Civil Rights Groups felt that give the government a way to intrude onto communities. Deserves a much deeper and broader conversation, but i dont see a future right or forced four cve Community Led initiatives. I think we are back to dealing with heavyhanded law tactics and there is basically no Community Trust for public trust. How does that influence the u. S. National Security Strategy . It basically diminishes american influence here inside communities and abroad. In other words, in terms of the foreignpolicy front, me move to the move to take the u. S. Embassy to jerusalem, which is , the unitedritory states is now building on occupied territory that is why you are getting resistance from christian minorities in the middle east and the organization of islamic conferences, the former u. S. Ambassador saudi ambassador to the u. S. Wrote an oped in the New York Times telling President Trump his Vice President is not welcome in saudi arabia, that basically trump has failed his promises to the saudi nation. How can the u. S. President ruin relationships with saudi arabia has told the u. S. We will give you anything they want . That is what the Trump Administration has accomplished. This is a new low for our lack of influence in the region. Our influence in the region has reached an anemic level. If that is the objective for our National Security, we are failing on that. As i said, this is now on the domestic front, i see the partnership dying and that is a serious concern. To me and anyone following these in terms of the development of our communities and our relationship with the government and Law Enforcement. Let me just talk about international cve. With the drafting of the first joint policy on countering violent extremism between the state department and usaid. Just to sum up that rather elaborate strategy in a few ideas basically, the thinking was that if we wanted to address violent extremism in the middle east in particular, we needed to address four key things. The first was so channel social marginalization. The second was poverty. The third was ungoverned areas. The fourth was government repression. And that we need to do that through the vehicles of inclusive Economic Growth and Good Governance. We did our best to try to do that in the prevailing environment that we found ourselves in. I cant say we were fully successful. I would say that we were not. However, what we have seen is that at least rhetorically, they in terms of the Trump Administration, they are certainly not focusing on Good Governance in the middle east, they are not focusing on democracy, they are not focusing on Economic Growth. , the things that the United States could do the most to counter violent extremism in the middle east are the functions of Good Governance and also really focus on inclusive Economic Growth. Not just looking at are the rich getting richer, but are the poor getting richer . Justrelated to that is not the actual Economic Growth, but also the feeling of inclusion. The marginalized communities look at the world and say, things are going in the right direction, i feel like things are good, therefore im going to go along with how things are going or do they feel more marginalized and more excluded . I think that is how you get to the drivers of violent extremism internationally and unfortunately the Trump Administration is making us less safe, not more safe by not focusing on Good Governance and not focusing on inclusive economics. Thank you. I would like you to respond to that, but i also went to throw in another question and that you mentioned in your remarks that maybe it is a little unfair that the average individual american muslim feels the responsibility or the need to condemn terrorism anytime it happens. So where does that leave american muslims then . Where does that leave the community when an incident or attack does happen and the perception of average americans who are not muslims are looking to our community to take that leadership role on to say, we have a plan, we are addressing this as a community. I know there is a lot of tension there. Where does that leave them . I think it is really the role of the leaders of the Muslim Community to play that leadership role and that is where organizations like impact take the lead and are out there in the media discussing these issues and doing her best to trying their best to clarify perceptions. What i am getting at is, i am not part of a muslim organization. Im just an american who happens to be a muslim. Thats how i see myself, instead of a muslim who happens to be american. Right . So, for someone to look at me and say well just because he was born muslim, that he has a responsibility that other americans do not have to Say Something after a terrorist attack, that is an uncomfortable position to be in. Individual muslims feel passionate about this and want to speak out in the media and organize and help change perceptions around these issues, more power to them. I just do not think that should be the de facto expectation for every single american muslim. There are obviously american muslims who dont identify very closely with their muslim and to ask them to make a statement about islam and terrorism is a little bit odd, right . Just as we dont expect people of other races or religions, someone from that group commits an act of violence, we dont ask every Single Member of that group to issue statements. When i try to do after terrorist attacks is to analyze as an avoidt, but i will issuing any condemnations on my twitter account. I just avoid doing that as a matter of policy. I dont want people to expect that from me going forward. That is not my role. Thank you. Do either of you want to respond to that . Where does that leave the community . Does it continue to perpetuate the myth or expectation that communities have to respond . I agree when it comes to National Security issues, we should allow the specialist. There are number of groups that specialize in National Security. We dont want to securitize the relationship between the u. S. Government and the Muslim Community, but we cannot take National Security out of the mind of the average american. People care about their security and if islam has something to do with their fears and their insecurity, then it is our responsibility to speak to the American Public and agree that we also have to talk about other forms of violent extremism and we should have equality under the law, but the reality is the American Public by and large has a fear about muslim. How we are articulating it, analyzing it, how we are going to move forward is not just a policy issue. It is a social issue. It is a media issue. It is a cultural issue. That is where the conversation needs to go. So it is not just when somebody decides to run over people in manhattan, then we all have to get out and say, we condemn this act or we are not going to condemn it anymore because we have been condemning at the last 20 years and if you have not heard us, then it is no use if we are getting to that kind of conversation, that is not helpful as an organization. So we do need to address this, in my opinion, from a cultural and social standpoint and tried try to move away from it just is a policy issue because that does reinforce this issue that american muslims are only important in terms of their securitization or people feeling less secure. We want to move away from that and the same goes in terms of storytelling. We want more stories about the muslim doctor and the muslim teacher and the muslim engineer and the muslim policy analyst. In other words am of these are americans who happen to be muslim. We need more stories like that out there. That is where i have criticism for our friends, not just political opponents. Our friends in media and in policy are not allowing this muslim voice to be heard or to be seen. When you turn on the tv and they talk about anything related to islam and muslims, rarely do you find a muslim in the conversation. It is people talking about muslims, not talking to muslims and i think that is another part of the culture problem that we need to overcome an hour in our society. We have time now to open it up for questions from the audience. Thanks to those are listening live on cspan2 and the cspan radio. If you have questions, please feel free to tweet them. Are there any questions from the audience . I know you are based in los angeles, which was one of the pilot cities for the Obama Administration cve program. Since these changes come you are expecting more heavyhanded tactics, have you seen anything on the ground in l. A. Or any of the other cities . Changes since the new Administration Made these modifications to the program . Ive seen on the one hand that the partnership in los angeles is still very strong. We have worked on it for a number of years. Strong. Because weve worked on it for a number of years. On it for now almost 25 years. To get a community to come into a discussion with law now on any of these cde or whether its relations with Law Enforcement and the policies, nobody wants about it. T and talk theyre too afraid and they do trust this government and they by extension, theres enforcement. Law thats in l. A. Where i feel its very strong as i said since building that trust and building the partnership for so long. It is inmagine how bad areas where there has not been work for a partnership. And engagement. Is going that, that to result in more bad things whether its youre going to more entrapment type, infiltration of communities, communitieslance of or as what was alluded to, a ominous ral and a more problem and that is communities feeling more isolated and from the rest of society. Ow were approaching the european structure where muslims re outside the main stream as opposed to the american tructure whereas american muslims have always felt part of the main stream. Theyve been socioeconomically now they alienated. A number of problems that esult that are driven by psychological ghettoization of communities that people dont belongingness. That theres going to be more harassment,tion and more depression and anxiety. An identity crisis. Youre talking about a whole another set of issues that you as a communityth and then how to deal with them Public Policy standpoint. From the er questions audience . I have a follow up question that. Nd both of you and hadi gave a critique of the federal cbe programs that we saw under obama and i guess what were not seeing under the Trump Administration. An you talk a little bit about the shift from this top down cbe top down s approach into more of a public that took l and what specifically through your partnership in los angeles and now those programs are being seen at the local level and cbe is going at the local and state level now that were from the leadership this. Al government on experts Mental Health to address a number of the social issues i was referring to earlier. And that was the basic objective of our program, so empower issues ies to handle themselves so that they dont have government coming in later it for them. Of and as i said that program that called safe spaces, the grant for that was rescinded so is basically working now at various local levels in terms of trying to get communities to support it but the community is that it is still terms of ancy in organizational development. So it is not getting the support. However, were looking for other support that. And i think in general, we want community to take ownership of the project. Like i said. Government doesnt come in and tell the community how to do it for them. So i want oh, yes. In the a question audience. Seeing a alam, were rise in hate crimes across the board in our country including biasrelated incidents against the jewish community. Of fearou see this rise and hatred against other minorities . Thats why its no accident that this administration has been the emic not just with Muslim Community but with other and minority groups generally feel under attack, disrespected, and that speaks to a bigger problem that all of us addressing. To im not very optimistic. There was a er demographic shift happening if this country and as whites shift over time from a majority to a expect , we can only these tensions to my sadness to intensify. Think we have to be prepared as a country to think in a long erm about how we try to minimize those tensions as demographically. Before i answer that question, i want to respond to what the president said recently about immigrants, that, you know, that somehow america is of the world rst by allowing immigrants to come in. No. All ca has benefitted from the immigrants that have made this country what it is and made a great country. Refugees is arian tragedy and a travesty. Were leaving it up to europe to otherith the refugees and countries. O america is actually now isolating itself from european and middle eastern partners. Other governments. The United States is now isolated. Going to hen is undermine our National Security interests because we will not be able to ill not build coalitions needed on a number of issues if were not participate on issues care for. Countries so thats the first thing. Then in terms of hate crimes in of course theres going to be a spike because when you have the top of the federal t, the government now being led by white y that carries a nationalist agenda and the then, of follows suit, course, our communities are racialize and e theres going to be more racial africanamericans, Jewish American communities, americans, muslims, they will all suffer. Is a threat to white americans because theyre like s of these problems everybody else. And were going to have more of divided society. And of course this does not help n terms of dealing with hate crimes. Does not help with the minority communities that have worked so integrated into the does not ciety and serve american domestic or international interests. So we just have a few minutes left. If i could ask all of our to this in respond closing. Theme of to todays islam versus the west as part of be the National Security strategy of this where do we go from here . How do we respond and where does it what does it take for us effective National Security policies . Start . Want me to [laughter] was just trying to think about something optimistic to and its challenging. Of the day, i dont think i dont think trump or the Trump Administration is the of the world. America is stronger than that. This. Get through whether youre talking about nationalism, jewish christian , or nationalism. That is what we can share together. Ut we have to break out of our bubbles and engage each other so invite the communities to speak and have dialogue with us. Still there are many segments of the combhunt that have never met with muslims in the United States. So we need that dialogue and we need it now. For american muslims, it is time to declare independence from any kind the ligious thought from middle east. Our own american thoughts. Litical it is needed now more than ever. We can use tradition and read whats happening over there. Share the criticism of that. Ut we need to define our own narrative as american muslims. What is the American Islamic narrative. Where we are today. I see that as an opportunity that will alleviate the fears of fellow americans but hope mportantly, present for the future generations and american ers of muslims. Thank you for having me. Know, on the question of fixing our National Security earlier, i aid believe there are domestic roots our National Security and for is about n american pluris uim, out of many one. Were healing National Security elections in alabama, virginia, and new jersey. Journey of american democracy that will shape the ive already heard from folks across the world that they kind up, took note in those elections, and they recognize in a way rebuke to the president s in a way theyre already discounting this president s actions because of sort of domestic response. Out of many, one. For is the best way forward our countrys domestic harmony security n national abroad. Thank you for having me. Of course. Thank you so much to all of our especially for ending on such an optimistic note. Todays event. Thank you. Thank you. [applause] cspans cities tour takes missouri on field, january 6th and 7th to explore scene and history 66 he birth place of route in southwestern missouri. About the talks onflict occurring along the conflict on the kansas and missouri border in their battle slavery. He begins a series of raids missouri during which his men will liberate help from missouri and them escape to freedom. Course of this they kill a number of slave holders. John brown d of rows as part of this struggle that people locally understand as really the beginning of the civil war. Sunday january 7th at 2 00 p. M. On American History national it the nra Sporting Arms museum. Theodore roosevelt was our shootingest president. Avid hunter. First thing he did when he left office was organize and go on a hunting safari to africa. This particular rifle was repared specifically for roosevelt. T has the president ial seal engraved on the breach and of course roosevelt was famous for party and there is a bull and moose engraved on this gun. Late of watch cspans cities tour of springfield, missouri january 6th and 7th on cspan book tv. And on American History tv on cspan 3. Afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here. Im