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A resolution recognizing the 10th Anniversary of the American Muslim Advisory Council.
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WHEREAS, Muslims have been an integral part of Tennessee history and have contributed to the vibrancy of Nashville's diversity; and
WHEREAS, in addition to being known as Music City, Nashville is also affectionately known as Little Kurdistan-USA for being home to the largest Kurdish population in the United States; and
WHEREAS, while visiting Music City in the 1970s, Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam), planted the seed money to establish one of Nashville's first mosques, Islamic Center of Nashville; and
WHEREAS, Nashville is now home to 10 Islamic centers that provide spiritual, community, and social services.; and
WHEREAS, true to its legacy, Nashville became a leader and welcoming city in the1990s, resettling thousands of Kurdish and Somali refugees; and
WHEREAS, now 70,000 Muslims that come from diverse ethnic, cultural, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds call Tennessee home, with over 45,000 in Middle Tennessee alone; and
WHEREAS, the American Muslim Advisory Council ("AMAC") was founded in 2012 after Tennessee Muslims successfully joined together with their allies to defeat a harsh piece of anti-Muslim legislation, often called the "anti-sharia" bill, and a series of failed attempts by some members of the Tennessee legislature to stifle the constitutional rights of Muslims; and
WHEREAS, headquartered in Nashville, AMAC is the only statewide Muslim advocacy organization in Tennessee; and
WHEREAS, AMAC works to empower the Tennessee Muslim community and foster mutual trust and respect among all people through civic engagement, community building, and media relations; and
WHEREAS, AMAC fights against Islamophobia and advocates for the Muslim community so that they can live free from discrimination, bullying, and hate crimes and feel a sense of belonging; and
WHEREAS, AMAC mobilizes thousands of Muslims to be civically engaged by hosting candidate forums, to...
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