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U.S. Muslims Discuss Combating Extremism

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Muslim leaders and activists from across the United States gathered Saturday to discuss their role in combating extremism within the Islamic community.

"The real battle is for the soul of Islam," said Maher Hathout, founder and senior adviser of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, which organized the one-day conference. "Islam needs to be reclaimed from extremists, but only Muslims can do that."

Hathout said American Muslims needed to actively define their role in society so other groups, including extremists and media organizations, didn't define it for them. Generating strategies to do that was a centerpiece of the conference, titled "Examining our role in America."

"When people speak out on our behalf, our silence just adds to the ignorance," Hathout said. "We are not helping the country win the war on terrorism."

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