The North Carolina office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NC) hosted an iftar (breaking of the daily fast in Ramadan), with contributions by the Muslim American Public Affairs Council (MAPAC), and the Charlotte Muslim Caucus, at the historic North Carolina Executive Mansion on Wednesday evening, bringing together Governor Josh Stein and Muslim leaders from across the state for an Imam Appreciation Iftar during the holy month of Ramadan.
The gathering centered both bridge-building with state government and candid civil-rights advocacy on issues impacting Muslim North Carolinians, including Islamophobia, First Amendment protections, and the humanitarian crises devastating communities abroad.
Leaders at the iftar underscored the breadth of Muslim civic life in North Carolina, from faith-based service initiatives to growing civic engagement. Speakers noted increasing public recognition of Ramadan by government bodies, including Governor Stein’s statewide Ramadan proclamation, as well as local proclamations and public acknowledgments in communities across North Carolina.
At the Executive Mansion, community members also lifted up the Muslim North Carolinian experience as one of resilience and public service amid discrimination that persists in schools, workplaces, public spaces, and places of detention. Participants raised concerns about bullying and harassment, religious accommodation challenges for incarcerated Muslims, and incidents of discrimination targeting Muslim women, while emphasizing that Muslim North Carolinians continue to serve the public, organize for justice, and build institutions that strengthen the state.
CAIR-NC Manager Al Rieder delivered remarks honoring imams statewide and highlighting the deep roots of Islam and Muslims in North Carolina—connecting the community’s present-day contributions to historic figures such as Omar Ibn Said, twentieth-century pioneers such as Imam Kenneth Muhammad and Sister Margaret Murray Muhammad, and generations of students and families who built enduring institutions across the state. Rieder also called on the Governor’s office to establish ongoing dialogue with Muslim civic and faith leadership, emphasizing that engagement should be sustained and consultative- especially when urgent issues impacting the community arise.
Rieder further shared the story of Mohammad Issam of Wilmington, describing the devastating loss of his family members in Gaza, including the inspiring story of one of his family members named Hamid, who dedicated his life to service in his community. This urged moral clarity and meaningful action in response to mass civilian suffering. Rieder stated that North Carolina Muslims are united in describing what has unfolded as a genocide, while emphasizing the human impact on grieving North Carolinian families.
Nigel Edwards(MAPAC) of Durham, expressed gratitude for advocacy supporting western North Carolinians affected by Hurricane Helene, including congregants of the Islamic Center of Asheville, while urging the Governor to help protect constitutionally protected advocacy and speech. Edwards called for reforms related to the SHALOM Act and for addressing state policies impacting entrepreneurs and public participation, warning against definitions or frameworks that could chill lawful political expression.
Dr. Hadia Mubarak(Charlotte Muslim Caucus) of Charlotte invoked the example of Muhammad Ali’s moral courage in opposing war and warned against the weaponization of state power to punish dissent. She urged renewed commitment to justice, equal human dignity, and solidarity with oppressed communities at home and abroad.
Imam Fleming El-Amin of Winston-Salem expressed gratitude to all of the imams across the state, who came in from as far away as Asheville and Wilmington. He stated thanks to the imams for their community service and personal sacrifices, which may sometimes go unrecognized.
Imam Ali Hida of Alnoor Islamic Center in Fuquay Varina and the North Raleigh Masjid, provided the Quran recitation and English meaning translations for the evening.
Speakers and attendees also voiced concern about rising Islamophobia, the suppression of First Amendment rights, and the fear experienced by immigrant communities amid heightened enforcement. Participants urged state leaders to protect sacred and public spaces (especially schools and houses of worship) from intimidation, and to support policies that safeguard civil liberties and religious freedom for all North Carolinians.
“Ramadan is a time of reflection, gratitude, and community, but it is also a time when we recommit ourselves to justice,” said Al Rieder, Manager of CAIR-NC. “We are grateful for the opportunity to gather in the people’s house, honor our imams, and speak with honesty and respect about what our community is carrying- from Islamophobia here at home to the grief of families with loved ones under bombardment abroad.”
CAIR-NC emphasized that the goal of the evening was constructive engagement paired with clear, principled advocacy, ensuring that relationships with public institutions reflect the independent voice and needs of North Carolina’s Muslim community, and that future engagement is rooted in consultation, accountability, and sustained dialogue.
CAIR- NC hopes that this Iftar will serve as an annual invitation to bring Muslim voices to the people’s house, partake in their joy, and honor their grief through active policy change and engagement. We implore our state’s lawmakers, including Governor Stein to ensure that ICE isn’t allowed in our state and never in our places of worship, to pushback against Islamophobia from the classroom to the jail cell, and to protect and preserve Freedom of Speech in our great state so that advocates are not penalized for speaking up against the genocidal actions of foreign governments. The time is now to stand with our community as it faces attacks from our presidential administration and here on the local level.
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CONTACT: CAIR-NC Community Engagement Manager Al Rieder, 202-742-6421, arieder@cair.com; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com