guest column:

One part of this mixed bag of post 9/11 experience is a lingering perception that American Muslims have not expressed enough outrage and condemnation about these horrific attacks on our nation. I believe this misperception can be easily corrected as Muslims reach out and engage more with the American society at large. Outreach will give our nation a real opportunity to know its Muslim citizens on a personal level and not rely solely on the sensational headlines of the corporate media outlets.

As a matter of information, I’ll chronicle a mere sampling of what Los Angeles area Muslims have done in response to the tragic events of 9/11.

On Sept. 8, 2002, the Islamic Center of Southern California brought together local Muslim leaders, elected officials and law enforcement officials to mark the first memorial service of 9/11. Here a 9/11 memorial quilt, handcrafted by three Muslim women from the area, which displayed the name of every victim of this tragedy, was signed by the L.A. mayor and dedicated at a special ceremony at Ground Zero in New York City on the first anniversary of the attacks.

Since that first memorial service, the Los Angeles community leaders have gathered in the halls of the Islamic Center every year to remember the 9/11 victims and to honor the community leaders of all faiths who work for peace as one community united in the fight against terrorism on US soil. This past Sunday, at a reception at the Center, the 2007 Interfaith Peace Awards were given to the Rev. George Regas of All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, Imam Abdul Karim Hassan of Bilal Islamic Center of South Central Los Angeles, and Rabbi Leonard Beerman of Leo Baeck Temple. As part of a two-day 9/11 memorial service, the award ceremony followed a special community service project that brought together various faith communities and corporate sponsors to prepare approximately 1,000 hygiene/first aid kits for the homeless and over 300 backpacks stuffed with school supplies for underprivileged children.

The American Muslim community has expressed its peaceful outrage in a multitude of ways by official Islamic religious decrees, statements of denunciation, and heroic stories of Muslims serving our country’s armed services.

Local Muslims formed the Islamic Congregation of La Cañada Flintridge to help our great city become a beacon of peace and mutual understanding amongst the neighborhood residents and in the greater community. By demonstrating that in one city, diverse faith groups can join together in ethics, community service and citizenship; we are setting a model for the elimination of the scourge of terrorism in the long run.

LEVENT AKBARUT is a member of the steering committee for the Islamic Congregation of La Cañada Flintridge, www.iclcf.org.