American Muslim Community Transforms San Diego Shooting Grief into Action at ICNA Conference
American Muslim community is gripped by deep sorrow following a brutal armed attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego last week that killed three people. However, at the annual Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) conference in Baltimore, community leaders stressed the importance of turning grief into concrete action.
Nearly 25,000 attendees gathered for the event held on Saturday (23 May) and Sunday (24 May). Speakers highlighted the courage of the three deceased victims as examples for the community amid rising Islamophobia.
“We owe them more than condolences. We owe them steadfastness,” stated Lena Masri, a lawyer with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
The three victims were identified as Amin Abdullah (security officer), Mansour Kaziha (mosque administrator), and Nadir Awad (a neighbour). Masri recounted how Abdullah returned fire against the assailant, while Kaziha and Awad rushed to assist and contact emergency services to save other worshippers.
“They protected our physical community space: the mosque, schools, children, teachers, and worshippers,” Masri explained. “Our responsibility now is to safeguard our civil community space: the right to worship, speak, organise, defend Palestine, and build institutions.”
The conference’s central theme emphasised that American Muslims must not remain passive. They are urged to use collective power to combat extremism and hatred through voting, mass organising, and financial support for political candidates aligned with their values.
Symbols of solidarity for Palestine were evident throughout the conference venue, from watermelon-themed merchandise to keffiyeh scarves. Activists in various panel discussions drew a direct line between anti-Muslim hatred in the US and foreign policy regarding the Gaza conflict.
Altaf Husain, a professor at Howard University School of Social Work, stated there is a systematic effort to intimidate Muslims into silence about criticism of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. However, the presence of tens of thousands at ICNA proves the community is not intimidated.
Amid resurgent anti-Muslim rhetoric in US politics, including mass deportation proposals from right-wing figures, Muslim communities are turning to legal avenues. A significant victory occurred in Florida when a federal court overturned Governor Ron DeSantis’s designation of CAIR as a terrorist organisation.
Judge Mark Walker ruled that the government’s action constituted indirect suppression of minority free speech.
Saad Kazmi, ICNA president, asserted that despite anxieties, Muslim communities must take control of their own future. “If there is wisdom in this tragedy, it is that more people are coming to mosques and believing that the path forward is to strengthen ourselves and keep moving forward,” he concluded.