Excerpt:
The founder and former president of the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) has made a personal appeal for donations to support ICNA's "Understanding Shari'ah" campaign. According to the appeal posted on the ICNA website:
Dear brothers and sisters,
I still remember Labor Day weekend of 1968, when a small group came together to form the Islamic Circle of North America, an organization that would serve the needs of the community and proudly exercise the right of American Muslims to practice their religion without restraint. I never expected that 43 years later that very right would be under attack. Anti-Shariah efforts have taken our country by full force, and 21 states have moved to ban Shariah altogether. Fear mongering has led to a full-fledged movement against the rights of American Muslims, and millions of dollars are being spent to fuel this anti-Islamic sentiment. ICNA needs your support to counter these attacks with an educational initiative of its own. In May 2011 ICNA launched the Understanding Shariah campaign, a nationwide grassroots initiative to help media personnel, elected officials and the public better understand Shariah. This campaign is crucial to protecting the religious freedoms on which our country was founded; we must act now to stop Islamophobia from dominating our culture and infringing upon our rights. I turn to you today, a supporter of ICNA, with a sincere sense of urgency. I look at my grandchildren and wonder what kind of America they will see five years from now. Will they be fined for making wudu in public restrooms? Will my little granddaughter be barred from attending public school because she wears hijab—a measure already being taken in France? I write to you because our freedoms are in danger, and ICNA needs your help.