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Made up of young and old, seasoned experts and those right out of college, the 45-member Congressional Muslim Staffers Association focuses on policy analysis, education, networking and professional development. What was once a simple effort to find religious accommodation for American Muslim Capitol Hill staffers has turned into a fully chartered Congressional organization that leaders call a microcosm of the politically, ethnically, and religiously diverse American Muslim community.
Founded by Jameel-Aalim Johnson, former chief of staff to Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), CMSA has grown exponentially in the two years since its inception, a reflection of the increasing participation of American Muslims in government and public policy. Though the CMSA is relatively new to the scene, American Muslims have been engaging officials and policy makers on Capitol Hill for over two decades.
One of the group's active leaders, a legislative assistant named Jihad Saleh, says that CMSA is a "big tent" organization that eschews differences that may divide and has built upon the knowledge and know-how of a broad base of government employees that encompass Democrats and Republicans, as well as Sunnis and Shi'as. This has been an important part of the organization's success.
Seventy percent of CMSA members are under the age of 30, indicative of the growing American Muslim population and their increasing involvement in government decision making. Many members started out at district offices around the country as assistants or interns and later transferred to their representatives' DC offices. They tend to hail from states where American Muslims make up large segments of the local population such as Michigan, Ohio, New York, Florida, Texas and California.
Beyond being a networking vehicle that assists members professionally, CMSA provides federal agencies and congressional staffers with relevant information briefs on policies involving majority-Muslim countries and domestic policies that deal with religious pluralism, minority rights and civil liberties. CMSA also provides information about the Islamic tradition to federal employees and congressional staffers as a way of increasing understanding and building community on the Hill.
Posted on November 11, 2008
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