Muslim-Americans Urged to Participate in US Census

Privacy, concerns over PATRIOT Act worry some in first population count since 9/11

19 March 2010

Muslims attend a panel discussion to learn more about the 2010 Census.

Muslim-American leaders are urging the community to participate in the 2010 Census - the once-a-decade count of the U.S. population called for in the U.S. Constitution - that is now under way.

Like leaders of other religious, ethnic and racial groups, they're working hard to inform their communities about why participating in the census is important to them and the country.

Easing concerns

Among the many groups helping the Census Bureau conduct its 2010 count is the American Muslim Interactive Network, or AMIN, a Washington-based organization that fosters activism, community service and civic engagement.

AMIN president Hazami Barmada recently invited members of the local Muslim community to a panel discussion about the census called Muslim Voices Matter. He said it's important to educate the community.

"Through events like this, bringing people who ordinarily would not be engaged with the census to this platform, where they can actually hear from a census person and also question that census person right back," said Barmada. He hopes the mutual exchange will create a deeper understanding of internal policy and procedures relating to the census while also highlighting the importance of activism in the community.