AMMWEC Urges Congress to Confirm Ambassadorial Nominees
The American Muslim & Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council (AMMWEC) has called on Congress to confirm Ambassador nominees to countries whose relationship with the United States is critical to national security.
The United States currently lacks Ambassadors in many Muslim-majority countries, including, but not limited to: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Brunei, Morocco, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen. India, the world’s largest Muslim-minority country, also has no current US Ambassador.
AMMWEC President & Co-Founder Anila Ali said: “Every day these Muslim-majority countries do not have an Ambassador in their capitals is a dangerous day for the United States. When you look around the world you see an alarming increase in Islamic extremism - from Norway to the United Kingdom - and we face constant reminders of the threat of this poisonous ideology. The lack of diplomatic leadership is creating a vacuum of American leadership and influence at a mission-critical time.”
Ali added: “Each day without representation creates new opportunities for exploitation by extremists and terrorist groups. This leads itself to marginalization, alienation, attacks on minorities, and deteriorating public opinion about the United States. And it will lead to years of diplomacy being thrown away as American influence is ceded to China, Russia, Iran, and other malign influences. Religious freedom is under assault in some of these countries - which practice state persecution against minorities, target leaders of houses of worship, and denying people their freedom of religion and belief across the region.”
AMMWEC calls on Congress to confirm nominees to critical Ambassadorial posts. This is not a Democratic issue nor a Republican issue - it’s an American issue. We call on Democrats and Republicans to come together and do the hard work of ensuring America’s world-class diplomats are able to do their jobs to achieve American interests in Muslim-majority countries, as well as around the world.
The American Muslim & Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council (AMMWEC) is a Muslim-American civil rights organization. Inspired by their own journeys as immigrants who have prospered in America, the women of AMMWEC are proud American Muslim women leaders who unite to strengthen our community, confront bigotry in all its forms, celebrate cultural heritage, and build enduring bonds with fellow Americans of all faiths. As Americans by choice, their work is a tribute to their heritage and the United States.
