As the White House prepares to host a three-day summit next week on countering violent extremism, many high-profile Muslim and religious groups argue that the administration’s efforts have unfairly singled out Muslims and the Islamic faith.
In the days leading up to the summit, Muslim Advocates said it has “serious concerns about the government’s track record of treating extremist violence as though it were an exclusively Muslim problem.” The prominent civil rights and legal advocacy group said that “sends a dangerous signal to members of the public that their Muslim neighbors are a threat.”
The Summit on Countering Violent Extremism, which has been in the works since last fall, will begin on Feb. 17. The pointed to recent attacks by radicalized Muslims in Ottawa, Sydney and Paris.
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Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson first announced the summit in September 2014 amid growing concerns over the Islamic State. It was supposed to be held in October but was postponed without public explanation.
Several invitees, including Jammal, told The Huffington Post that they have not received a schedule or instructions on when to show up Tuesday. A White House official indicated that at least part of the summit would be open to the media. Yet as of Friday, the last business day before the event (Monday is a federal holiday), no press credentialing information had been released for the National Security Council portion, though the State Department has provided such information for Thursday’s gathering.
