MANILA, Philippines - The first United States special representative to Muslim communities has started visiting East Asian countries, with the Philippines as her first stop.
US envoy to Muslim communities Farah Pandith on Friday met with students, bloggers, representatives of Muslim communities, and civil society groups to engage them in “people-to-people level” discussions.
In a roundtable with reporters, Pandith said the US government wants to develop a “strong relationship” with Muslim communities, especially the youth, by seeking “more robust” and increased dialogue with them.
“We aim to find a way for the US to use its connecting powers to put forward their needs, ideas… (To create) a network with like-minded people… to bring uncommon partners to the table,” she said.
Pandith said she intends to focus on the Muslim youth to establish a “strong relationship with the next generation of Muslims.”
Pandith said that after the 9-11 attacks on New York and Washington, much work needed to be done to eliminate discrimination among Muslims. – Katherine Adraneda