Since President Trump took office the muslim community has spent 18 million dollars to contribute to candidates in the U.S. elections.

The muslim community usually spends half a million dollars during each election, but in just the last two years, they have spent 18 million to support candidates who support their agenda.

Nihad Awad, the Executive Director and co-founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR):

It has been difficult three years for the muslim community and the nation. It is no secret that our community has been on the receiving end of painful and bigoted political attacks coming from the most powerful leaders of our nation. A campaign designed and built on fear and division, it was designed to scare, to smear and intimidate and to isolate the muslim community and people of color. And needless to say this campaign was effective because it resulted in unprecedented number of attacks on the American muslim community and people of color. And we see the results at CAIR throughout our offices, the hate crimes, the discrimination, the bullying, the bullying of muslim children in public schools. But at the same time this campaign has ignited the fire underneath the feet of the American muslim community, not to hide, not to runaway from public offices, from politics, but to run for public offices and win. And let me share with you the results. Usually, about 30-40 American muslims run for public office. In the past two years alone more than 270 American muslims ran for public office in a unprecedented number. 131 of them won seats at this local, state and federal level. The American muslim community would spend about half a million dollars giving contributions to candidates that they like. In the past two years the American muslim community has spent 18 million dollars to support candidates that support their issues. So, we, our community started to engage in the political process the way it should be.

Nihad Awad’s full speech below: