American Muslim leaders meet Turkish president, discuss Islamophobia

Erdogan told American Muslim leaders to inform the U.S. Congress and other political bodies about the dangers of Islamophobia

 ANKARA, Türkiye – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with a delegation from the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (U.S.CMO) at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.

The meeting was attended by prominent figures such as Oussama Jammal, Secretary General of U.S.CMO, Imam Ayman Aishat of CAIR National and Zahid Bukhari of ICNA.

During the meeting, Erdogan expressed his concern about Islamophobia and called on American Muslim leaders to inform the U.S. Congress and other political bodies about the dangers it poses.

He stressed that using freedom of expression as a pretext for attacks on the Quran undermines social peace and stability. He called such attacks “clear hate crimes and barbarism.”

Erdogan praised the donation of $100 million by the Muslim community in the U.S. to support earthquake victims in the southern province of Kahramanmaras, calling it a significant sign of Islamic solidarity.

He also stressed the need to adopt UN resolutions that classify violence against holy scriptures as a violation of international law and called on countries to act against such hate crimes.

“We need to ensure that these decisions are reflected in practice. As Türkiye, we continue to call on the relevant countries to take the necessary measures against those who commit these hate crimes,” he said.

Erdogan also called on the delegation to raise awareness on the dangers of Islamophobia in political circles.

“Many of you have access to political circles in America. You play important roles in terms of social peace and stability. You have representatives in local and federal politics. By using this influence, you can effectively inform all political circles, especially the American Congress, that attacks on the holy Quran cannot be defended under the excuse of freedom of expression and that they target social peace and stability,” he said.

“I believe that your support will be useful in neutralizing the smear campaigns of anti-Turkey lobbies,” he added.

 The meeting was also attended by other Turkish officials, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Religious. Affairs Directorate Chairman Ali Erbaş.