: Picking Up The Pieces after “Black Wednesday”

Hopes were high last year when Muslims jumped headfirst into the political pool and endorsed George W. Bush for President. After the election, Muslim organizations enjoyed almost unprecedented access to the White House and Congress. But after Sept. 11th, the thousands of detained Arabs and raids on pro-government organizations left many feeling ostracized and betrayed. As CAIR started up a defense fund to raise money for civil rights cases, Muslims began to question the wisdom of their actions. The irony? Muslim efforts at outreach have led to a better impression of Muslims among fellow Americans in the months since Sept. 11th, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. Guess you can’t win over all of the people all of the time.

Zahed Amanullah is associate editor of altmuslim.com.  He is based in London, England.