In Defense of Our Democracy
By Dr Salam Al- Maryati
Washington, DC

A year from today, the very foundation of our democracy was rocked to its core as violent insurrectionists stormed the United States Capitol to stop the certification of presidential electoral vote count in the Congress. While President Trump’s public questioning of the legitimacy of our elections and his tacit support for conspiracy theories no doubt fueled this vehement denial of our democratic process, the deeper-rooted causal factors behind the January 6th attacks spell trouble for our democracy. Even more concerning are the ramifications of those causal factors if left unchecked by our policymakers and the American people. 
The Capitol Hill insurrection gave us a glimpse of what our nation can look like if we fail to tighten the bolts on our democracy and slide into tyranny. One of the hallmarks of American democracy is the peaceful transition of power, no matter how contentious the campaigning leading up to the elections were, or no matter how close the margin of victory was.  
Many Americans watched in horror and disbelief that day as the angry mobs stormed through the halls of Congress, unable to fathom how this could be happening in America. But that is the unfortunate state of our union. According to  Pew Research , 90% of Americans surveyed believe “there are strong conflicts between people who support different political parties.” The same study reveals that those who are concerned about the divided nature of our nation are likely to be more dissatisfied with the current state of our democracy. The growing schism amongst Americans is contributing to the deterioration of faith in our public institutions, an important parameter for democracy. 
Conspiracy theories like the  white replacement theory  paired with the anti-immigrant and bigoted, populist policies of the last administration have emboldened the white supremacist movement and given rise to violent hatred. This puts minorities, including Muslims in America, in grave danger. It also threatens our nation’s founding principle of pluralism, a critical component of a vibrant democracy.
To address the crisis of our democracy, MPAC will sponsor regional democracy forums throughout the country leading up to the midterms in November which will determine the new makeup of Congress.

Topics to be discussed include: 

• Restoring Confidence in Institutional Democracy
• Political Extremism and Violence in America 
• Defining Pluralism for the 21st century 
• Disinformation about Islam, Fuel for Conspiracy Theories 
• Traits of Tyranny–Past, Present and Future 
• Voter Education and Voting Rights

The elections this November will see yet another ramp up of hysteria by right-wing extremists, and they will use Islam as part of their conspiracy theories to incite more anti-Muslim animus. It behooves us as a country to expose these lies and stem hysteria that arises when conspiracy theories abound on network news and social media. American Muslims and the greater American society need to make a concerted effort to educate our nation on the actual tenets of Islam, which are congruous with American values of freedom and justice and the rule of law, in order to counter propaganda aimed at undermining our democracy.
MPAC will host our 22nd Annual Convention in late October or early November, around the midterm elections. The theme will be “American Democracy: Its Impact At Home and Abroad.” Our priority this year will be to work to preserve and protect our democracy.