AMMWEC convenes coalition conference against antisemitism and hate

Members of Congress, Justice Department officials and interfaith leaders backed AMMWEC’s second annual conference in Washington, where more than 70 organizations gathered to coordinate against antisemitism, extremism and religious hatred. The event also launched a new book of Muslim eyewitness accounts from Israel before and after Oct. 7.

Why it matters: - AMMWEC used the conference to broaden a national coalition against antisemitism and hate. - More than 70 national and international organizations took part, signaling a wider effort to coordinate across faith and civil rights groups. - The event highlighted Muslim-Jewish partnership as a practical response to rising religious hatred and extremism.

What happened: - AMMWEC held its Second Annual National Coalition Against Antisemitism and Hate Conference in Washington. - Members of Congress, senior U.S. Department of Justice officials, civil rights experts and interfaith leaders praised the gathering. - Leo Terrell, chair of the Justice Department Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, delivered the keynote address. - U.S. Reps. Greg Stanton and Brad Schneider also spoke. - The conference opened with an Abrahamic Prayer for Peace led by Muslim, Jewish and Christian clergy. - The program included a cake-cutting ceremony marking America’s upcoming 250th anniversary.

The details: - AMMWEC Board Member Seemab Asif served as mistress of ceremonies. - The conference launched O' Jerusalem: The Witness Delegations—Truth, Faith & Oct. 7 from the Abrahamic Publishing & Research Center, also identified as Abraham PRC. - The book features firsthand testimony from Muslim journalists, educators, faith leaders and interfaith advocates who traveled across Israel before and after the Oct. 7 attacks. - The testimonies focus on personal reflection rather than political rhetoric. - The program included a featured conversation between Dr. Anila Ali and bestselling author Dara Horn. - Presentations also came from the Anti-Defamation League and Dr. Charles Asher Small of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy. - Sessions covered campus antisemitism, Muslim women in peacemaking, digital extremism and international religious freedom. - A panel of Muslim delegates who contributed to the book shared accounts of visiting Israel, the Gaza envelope, the West Bank, Bethlehem and communities affected by the Oct. 7 attacks. - Journalist Wajid Ali Syed moderated that session. - AMMWEC reaffirmed its commitment to Muslim-Jewish partnerships, religious freedom and coalitions against antisemitism and hate.

Between the lines: - Leo Terrell framed the issue as moral rather than partisan, saying antisemitism is “an issue of right versus wrong.” - The book launch gave the conference a storytelling component, using firsthand testimony to push engagement beyond policy talk. - Anila Ali’s closing remarks tied Jewish safety to broader religious safety, underscoring a coalition message aimed at multiple faith communities.

What’s next: - AMMWEC is positioning the conference as part of a continuing effort to expand interfaith alliances. - The organization is likely to keep building around Muslim-Jewish partnership, religious freedom and anti-hate advocacy. - The book’s witness-based approach may become a tool for future public dialogue on Israel, Oct. 7 and interfaith understanding.

The bottom line: - AMMWEC is trying to turn interfaith solidarity into a sustained anti-antisemitism coalition, not a one-time event.