History:

In 2009, AMMWEC held its inaugural leadership conference in southern California with over 700 women in attendance. The founding core leadership were successful South Asian women who encountered difficulties post 9-11 passing through immigration and felt under-represented by the existing male-dominated community organizations speaking in their name.

To address profiling, home-grown extremism, and women’s representation in leadership, AMMWEC initiated a partnership with local and national law enforcement – and successfully began placing young Muslim women in police internships. To address inter-communal tensions, AMMWEC launched an annual interfaith iftar bringing together Muslims, Jews, Christians, Bahais, Hindus, and other faiths. Every year AMMWEC also hosts a family bazaar celebrating cultural heritage from South Asia and beyond.

In response to requests for assistance from women facing domestic abuse and anti-Muslim bigotry, AMMWEC’s informal community helpline offers guidance and assistance to women in need (domestic abuse, internal or external bigotry). The incidents from the helpline also revealed that women are on the frontlines of preventing extremism – as mothers and sisters caring for their families. In 2015, AMMWEC presented a policy paper on community counter-radicalization efforts at an Obama White House Counter-Extremism Summit.

AMMWEC is an IRS-certified 501c3 non-profit organization.