البيان الصحفي بالعربية
WASHINGTON, DC (6/21/ 2022) – The US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), along with 9 other diverse faith groups, has successfully persuaded U.S. Congress to increase appropriations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) to $360 million for fiscal year 2023, up from $250 million this year.
NSGP provides funding to improve security measures for at-risk urban, suburban, and rural community nonprofits, including houses of worship, religious schools, community centers, and other charities. As recent mass shootings have shown, this need could not be more urgent.
“USCMO’s priority from day one has been not only the sound development and integration of American Muslim nonprofits throughout our community but to look to and foster the safety and security of all American Muslims and their communal and religious infrastructure,” said Oussama Jammal, USCMO’s Secretary-General.
“That has grown into a voice for protecting all faith-based charities and their members throughout America.”
Indeed, as the sole Muslim organization in this interfaith group, USCMO has worked to successfully persuade Congress to quadruple this critical funding for all U.S. religious nonprofits over the past three years.
See prior letter to congress in 2020
“It is urgent that the leaders of our American Muslim non-profits – mosques, schools, Islamic centers, and other charitable associations serving our community –apply now to FEMA for this grant,” said Jammal.
“This can greatly help our community institutions do the planning and get the training needed to keep our people safe and our nonprofit properties secure in a climate of rising anti-Muslim hate crimes and targeted assaults.”
Congress provided NSGP funding with $180 million from the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Nonprofit Security Grant Program and another $180 million from the State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP).
Jammal noted that American Muslims express their special gratitude to the senators and representatives of the Senate and House Committees on Appropriation, in particular Senator Patrick Leahy and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, the two chairs of their respective committees, and their ranking members Senator Richard Shelby and Congresswoman Kay Granger.
In addition, the Muslim community is grateful to Senator Christopher Murphy and Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, the two chairs of the Senate and House Subcommittees on Homeland Security, and ranking members Senator Shelly Moore and Congressman Chuck Fleischmann.
“I think we ought to recognize the compassion and action taken by the leaders and members of these committees for freedom of religion in America and their equal concern for the safety and wellbeing of all our faith communities,” said Jammal.
The interfaith letter of appeal to Congress to increase NSGP funding for fiscal year 2023 over its historic increase this past year highlighted just how vital the prior training and planning with law enforcement proved to be. In January, the Colleyville, Texas synagogue – which had previously received NSGP funding for training, planning, and law enforcement cooperation – had its frightening hostage event brought to an end without tragedy.
“The attack underscored the rising threats faced by faith and minority communities, as racially, religiously, and ethnically motivated violence has targeted mosques and Islamic centers, historically black colleges and universities, Jewish synagogues and community centers, churches of varied denominations, and other faith-and community-based organizations,” the interfaith coalition, including USCMO, wrote to Congress.
“According to a recent National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin on Heightened Threats to Faith-based Institutions bulletin, the United States remains in a heightened threat environment, with increased volatility, unpredictability, and complexity of the threat environment, with faith-based communities at a particularly high risk.”
“Most of our nonprofit institutions – and especially most of our schools and mosques – lack the resources to make the necessary security improvements that our increased threat danger now absolutely requires,” said Jammal.
The NSGP steps in with critical security investments that overcome this lack and deficiencies, he said.
“From physical security, to emergency readiness planning, to personal training and exercises – NSGP funding helps a mosque, or a school, or a charity in all these crucial measures,” he said. “At the same time, it will enable us to make meaningful connections and establish cooperation in advance with public and private community servants, including state and local homeland security and emergency management agencies.
“This is now urgently vital for our American Muslim community and our nonprofit infrastructure,” said Jammal.
Jammal noted that the funding increase of $110 million, though appreciated, falls short of the $220 million in applicant requests denied for lack of available grant money in fiscal year 2021.
Jammal urges all American Muslim charities to apply for NSGP funds through FEMA without delay.
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