Excerpt:
The backlash on Muslims in the United States following the 9/11 attack has led to the community becoming more mature in the past decade than it has ever been in the past. According to Asim Rehman, president and co-founder of the Muslim Bar Association of New York (MuBANY), the community has been more politically involved, more engaged with other communities since the terror attacks. And he believes the way the Muslim community has evolved in the US in the past decade should be an eye-opener to Muslims around the world.
"A homogenous community has its own advantages. But I believe living in a heterogeneous area allows you to grow and prosper because it widens your horizon instead of limiting it. In India, there are large neighbourhoods where Muslims reside. Here, one can live an entire life without any contact with the outside world. But if by being so insular, one is limiting the education of children and the business potential or excludes one from the political process, perhaps it's time to chart out a new course," said Rehman.