Excerpt:
Next week will mark the official opening of the Muslim Democratic Club of New York, the first club of its kind in the city.
The group formally announced its plan to open in an email message to supporters and the media, inviting them to a March 14 kick-off event in Manhattan. In the invitation, the organization describes itself as a "New York City-based organization of American Muslims" who are "dedicated to helping elect responsible Democrats to local office."
Helping launch the group are a handful of political operatives including Ali Najmi, a former New York City Council staffer, and Umair Khan, a staffer for State Senator Kevin Parker, a Democrat from Brooklyn.