Facing uncertainty, Maryland Muslims to focus on education

The Republican's support of a ban on Muslims entering the U.S., his opposition to Syrian refugees and his consideration of the re-launch of a registry of Muslim immigrants have induced feelings of fear and worry in many, which community leaders and advocates are working to quell.

"The Trump campaign engaged in hateful and bigoted rhetoric that targeted Muslim immigrants," said Robert McCaw, director of government affairs at the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington-based Muslim civil rights organization.

On Monday, American Muslim leaders sent an open letter to Trump requesting he "reconsider and reject" those recently named to his administration with "a well-documented history of outright bigotry directed at Muslims or advocating that Muslims should not have the same rights as their fellow Americans."

Citing a recent "outbreak" in hate crimes against racial and religious minorities (including Muslims), Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh launched a hotline to report them just a week after the election.

[...] its operators have received about 30 calls, spokeswoman Raquel Coombs said.

Before his inauguration in January, it will be difficult to predict what measures he will and will not implement.

[...] the Muslim community is bating its breath.

The American-Arab Discrimination Committee is organizing conference calls, hosting town hall meetings, planning visits to schools and facilitating one-on-one conversations with the same goal of educating the local Muslim community on their rights, Ayoub said.

Any further action will be impossible until it's more clear what policies will be implemented, Ayoub said.

[...] the uncertainty makes it difficult to outline any concrete steps.