The United States being the super power is under constant threat of terrorism from various groups. It is with this in mind that a task force was formed to help the Department of homeland security (DHS) to address these threats. For DHS to effectively counter future threats they need to develop strategies that are targeted at specific groups and programs (Homeland security advisory council, 2007). Some of the critical recommendations in the report were the establishment of Office of Net Assessment (ONA). This office is tasked with providing accurate researched information on future threats and response measures to counter those threats (Homeland security advisory council 2007). For example, al-Qaeda group is widely known for its ideology towards the destruction of American interests both domestically and internationally (Chalk, Hoffman, et al 2005). It is therefore the mandate of DHS to review existing counter terrorism measures in order to identify existing gaps and filling up those gaps (Chalk, Hoffman et al, 2005).
The second critical recommendation is the recruitment of professionals with diverse cultural and educational background. The DHS should place a higher premium on professionals with diverse cultural, religious and language background. The diverse cultural difference between the Muslims and the American culture needs to be seen as an opportunity for religious tolerance and unity and not a source of conflict. Therefore, for DHS to be effective, it must recruit personnel from diverse background to inject into the organization different perspectives on terrorism and on how it can be tackled. The department needs to develop communication strategies and programs that do not promote the radicalization of the Muslim community in America by adopting policies that promote religious tolerance and dialogue (Homeland security advisory council 2007).
An example of a Muslim Outreach program that has been established to promote greater understanding between Muslims communities and other American communities is the Islamic Centre of Charlotte (ICC). It was established in 1993 to serve as a source of encouragement to Muslim communities living around Charlotte and surrounding areas. Its main objective was identification of sources of misunderstanding between Muslims and the west, identification of terms of co-existence and building of bridges between the two civilizations (Islamic Center Charlotte, 2009). The main goal of the outreach program is to bring together Muslims and non Muslims in an effort to promote greater mutual understanding and cooperation between the public and Muslim communities. The ICC in its programs has tried to emphasize the common shared values that Islam has with the west such as respect for justice, peace, equality, human rights and freedom for all. ICC believes that, through these programs, Muslims and Non-Muslims can get to know, appreciate and respect each other cultures. (Islamic Center Charlotte, 2009).
The ICC in its outreach program participates in inter faith activities that involves round table discussions and seminars that aim to promote unity among members of different faiths. The ICC has worked towards promoting a positive image of Islam by opening its doors to the general public by inviting them in social events such as Open House, Campus Dawah, Special Event Booths, Prison Dawah. and participating in volunteer activities in the local community (Islamic Center Charlotte, 2009). The outreach program has also established a school that offers comprehensive education to deserving students from all faiths, nationalities and gender. The outreach program has also invited non Muslims to mosques they run to promote greater understanding of the Islamic faith (Islamic Center Charlotte, 2009).
References
Chalk, P., Hoffman, B., Reville, R. & Kasupski, A. (2005). Trends in Terrorism: Threats to the United States and the Future of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act. Center for Terrorism Risk Management Policy. Web.
Homeland Security Advisory Council. (2007). Report of the Future of Terrorism Task Force. From the Department of Homeland Security. Web.
Islamic Center Charlotte. (2009). Guide to Islam. Web.