Courtesy: US1 Newspaper

Since 9/11 knee-jerk reactions to Islam have been built into the psyche of many Americans. News of foiled domestic terror plots have only accelerated negative opinions. The proposal to build a mosque near Ground Zero seized headlines — and hatred — while plans to build one in West Windsor have already caused some to balk at the idea.

On March 10 the first of New York Congressman Peter King’s Congressional hearings on “The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community” kicked off amid a frenzy of protests and outcries. Allegations were made that a modern-day witchunt had been launched.

According to the Council on American Islamic Relations, the Garden State is home to more than a half-million Muslims and 100 mosques. South Brunswick, with a Muslim student population of 20 percent, incorporated Muslim holidays Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha into its school calendar for the first time in 2010-’11 and generated calls for “focusing on American holidays” as a result.

But New Jersey’s diversity doesn’t always provide a model for the other 49 states to follow. If perception is reality, the public needs to look to the private sector to find fresh faces of Islam in America (see U.S. 1, December 8, 2010).

On Saturday, April 2, the Council for the Advancement of Muslim Professionals (CAMP) will host its fourth Leadership Summit at the Wyndham Princeton Forrestal Hotel & Conference Center, 900 Scudders Mill Road in Plainsboro. The day begins with registration and a networking breakfast at 8 a.m. and concludes with a reception and fireside discussion at 8:30 p.m. Cost: $150. Visit www.camp-online.org/summit/registration.

The event brings together many successful entrepreneurs, scholars, Fortune 500 executives, and even two Muslim American mayors — Mohammed Hameeduddin of Teaneck and Omar Ahmad of San Carlos, California. CAMP maintains a focus on professional enhancement for individuals ages 27 to 45. The aim of the annual Leadership Summit is to educate, inspire, and provide professionals a platform for dialogue on their work, contributions in Muslim and non-Muslim communities, and methods of helping people just starting out in their careers.

Read more here