Senator Mark Warner Visits ADAMS Center Ahead of Election

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Virginia Senator Mark Warner visited the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) Main Center in Sterling, VA on Friday, June 20, 2014 to give his Ramadan greetings to the congregants and attend the Jummah gathering. Warner (up for a re-election this year) admitted that he needs to come to the masjid more frequently.

 

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I was here many years ago when I was Governor [sic] but have not been back enough times, I need to be back more often and not just during a political year,? said Warner.


After his brief address to the congregants, he was part of a reception with community leaders and organizations, including board members of ADAMS, Boy Scout troop leaders, Islamic Relief, the ADAMS Compassionate Health Care Network (ACHN), The Foundation for Appropriate and Immediate Temporary Help (FAITH) and members of the Armed Forces. The community members took the opportunity to tell the Senator what community efforts they were a part of and they also discussed domestic and international concerns with the senator.


Rizwan Jaka, chair of the ADAMS board, explained to Warner the threat of anti-Muslim bigotry and how that continues to be a struggle for the Muslims in the region.  He added that he hoped the senator would continue to help shape the dialogue and the message and create an environment of religious freedom.


?The Muslim community is the greatest partner of law enforcement to prevent terrorism and so instead of marginalizing the Muslim community law enforcement needs to continue to work with the Muslim community. The Islamophobia industry is out there to marginalize the community and keep them from dialogue with law enforcement and that is counterproductive to national security,? said Jaka.


Community members expressed their concerns of the conflicts that are occurring in the Central African Republic, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Burma and Pakistan. Warner, who is a member of the Senate?s Select Committee on Intelligence, said that he welcomes any guidance the community can give to him in terms of foreign policy solutions to these and other conflicts.


?I welcome ideas on how America can help because it?s hard for me to see the right path if you have the right answer I would be happy to take it back to Obama and Hagel??I don?t pretend to know all the answer ? I haven?t heard of any great plans so I am open to ideas as well as to what American?s can do to help, recognizing that your fellow Americans are confused and tired of these conflicts as well. My promise to you is that I need to be more involved with the community,? said Warner.

Anab Ali, a registered nurse and a board member of the ADAMS Compassionate HealthCare Network said that she was appreciative of the senator coming to ADAMS. Ali had worked hard on the previous campaign to get him reelected and she said by him coming to ADAMS and acknowledging the community ?felt nice?.


?For the Senator to come to ADAMS, he acknowledged that ADAMS Center is in fact a vital part of the community and that he want to work with ADAMS,? said Ali.


Ali also asked the senator questions about the conflicts in Muslim countries across the world. She said that she, of course, realized that he couldn?t make any policy changes on his own. But it was important for her to see what he said regarding the issues she brought up.


?I asked him those questions to see what he felt about those issues and to bring them to his attention. I wanted to bring attention to the crisis in the Muslim World. We want him to do something. We don?t want to be taken for granted. If the senator wants to earn our votes he has to take actions for our issues,? said Ali.


The 2014 United States Senate election in Virginia will be held on November 4, 2014 to elect a member to represent the Commonwealth of Virginia.

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