Leo Terrell
Congressman Greg Stanton (AZ-04)
Congressman Brad Schneider
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, July 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The American Muslim & Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council (AMMWEC) concluded its Second Annual National Coalition Against Antisemitism and Hate Conference last Monday at the National Press Club with the launch of O’ Jerusalem: The Witness Delegations—Truth, Faith & Oct. 7, a groundbreaking new book documenting the experiences of Muslim leaders who traveled throughout Israel especially after the October 7 terrorist attacks.
Published by Abraham Publishing & Research Center (Abraham PRC) and now available on Amazon, the book is believed to be the first collection of its kind. It brings together Muslim journalists, educators, faith leaders, activists, and interfaith advocates who chose to experience Israel firsthand.
“The purpose of this book is simple: to bear witness,” said Wajid Ali Syed, CEO Abraham PRC. “These are Muslim voices sharing what they saw with their own eyes—not through politics or propaganda, but through lived experience. The path to peace begins with truth, human connection, and the courage to confront hatred wherever it exists.”
A Patriotic Opening Honoring America’s 250th Birthday
The conference began with Ghazal Mizrahi, an Iranian Jewish activist and proud American, performing the national anthem. She was followed by leaders representing America’s three Abrahamic faiths: Rabbi Alex Harris, Pastor Leon Benjamin, and Sheikh Musa Drammeh, who offered invocations and prayers for the United States, its people, and all those who have found safety, freedom, and opportunity on its shores.
Faith leaders and representatives of sponsoring organizations—including Hadassah, the Anti-Defamation League, and others joined AMMWEC for a ceremonial cake-cutting honoring America’s 250th anniversary. The celebration was a proud display of patriotism and a reminder that religious freedom, pluralism, and equal citizenship remain among America’s greatest promises.
The conference brought together representatives from more than 70 national and international organizations, alongside Members of Congress, federal officials, civil rights leaders, clergy, academics, digital creators, and community advocates. Muslim faith leaders traveled from California and New York and from communities across the country to participate.
The gathering reflected a growing national network that AMMWEC has built to empower moderate Muslim voices and unite Muslims, Jews, Christians, and people of other faiths against antisemitism, extremism, and hate. This Muslim-women-led initiative demonstrated how faith and civic leadership can bring Americans together around shared values.
National Leaders Confront Antisemitism
Delivering the keynote address, Leo Terrell, Chair of the U.S. Department of Justice Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, stressed that combating antisemitism is a moral imperative and not a partisan cause.
“I am not here as a Republican or a Democrat,” Terrell said. “The issue of antisemitism is not political. It’s fundamental—it’s an issue of right versus wrong.”
The conference also featured a special conversation between Anila Ali and bestselling author Dara Horn, whose acclaimed book ‘People Love Dead Jews’ examines the historical roots, persistent myths, and contemporary manifestations of antisemitism.
Members of Congress Greg Stanton of Arizona and Brad Schneider of Illinois discussed the importance of protecting religious liberty and confronting antisemitism and hate through public policy. Schneider reaffirmed his support for the Abraham Accords, while Stanton urged Americans to reject what he described as “selective freedom.” Both lauded AMMWEC’s efforts to confront antisemitism and hate, and conducting the coalition conference.
Muslim Delegates Bear Witness
Among the conference’s most anticipated sessions were two panels featuring Muslim delegates whose testimonies appear in the book O’ Jerusalem. Moderated by journalist Wajid Ali Syed, the discussions explored how firsthand experiences in Israel challenged long-held assumptions and demonstrated the importance of dialogue over ideology. The panel was sponsored by Combat Antisemtism Movement, (CAM).
Ohr Torah, one of the conference sponsors, partnered in one of the witness delegations to Israel, helping participants encounter the country, its people, and its complex realities directly.
In other panels, experts also addressed the wider threat posed by extremism. Dr. Charles Asher Small, Founder and President of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, warned that antisemitism threatens not only Jewish communities but democratic societies themselves.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) presented current data on rising antisemitism and discussed strategies for confronting hatred through education, advocacy, community engagement, and public policy.
Hadassah’s National President Carol Ann Schwartz delivered keynote remarks on the importance of coalition-building among American Jewish, Zionist, and interfaith organizations. She said, ” We are living through a deeply troubling time, antisemitism, islamophobia, hate is increasingly visible, loud and violent.”
Additional sessions focused on Muslim women in peacemaking, interfaith bridge-building on college campuses, digital efforts to counter radicalization and misinformation, and grassroots religious-freedom initiatives. A delegation of Pakistani faith leaders also shared its work to advance Abrahamic cooperation and defend vulnerable religious communities.
A Women-Led Coalition for Courage and Cooperation
Led by AMMWEC, this women-led effort brought Muslims, Jews, and Christians together to build practical and lasting partnerships against hate.
The conference concluded with a call for participants to transform dialogue into sustained action within their communities, institutions, houses of worship, campuses, and public life.
Closing the conference, Anila Ali reminded attendees that protecting one community ultimately protects every community:
“I am not safe if you’re not safe. And you’re not safe in your churches, your mosques, your synagogues, or your mandirs until the Jewish people are safe—because it starts with the Jews, and it doesn’t end there.”
The conference reaffirmed AMMWEC’s commitment to empowering moderate Muslim voices, advancing Muslim-Jewish partnerships, defending religious freedom, countering antisemitism, and strengthening Abrahamic cooperation through education, dialogue, patriotism, and moral leadership.
The National Coalition Against Antisemitism and Hate continues to grow, bringing together organizations and leaders from across the United States and around the world.
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