Who would’ve guessed? 

A coalition of U.S.-based Muslim groups claiming that anti-Muslim backlash is on the rise in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino hopes to register one million people to vote before the 2016 election as part of a “civic empowerment initiative.”

Oussama Jammal, the secretary general of the U.S. Council on Muslim Organizations, also announced in a press conference held Monday at the National Press Club that the group will “seek to increase emergency preparedness for Islamic institutions and individuals to address the rising number of incidents of hate crimes that are unfortunately happening nationwide.”

While the press conference participants — who hailed from such groups as the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), and the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) — focused little attention on the recent terrorist attacks, they focused on some of the political rhetoric that has followed.

To address what they perceive as public and political backlash, the groups plan the massive Muslim voter outreach as well as a “major educational outreach” which will include a “One America” program aimed at helping non-Muslims understand Islam.

One speaker, ISNA vice president Atlaf Husain, urged local, state and federal politicians who “aspire to political victory” to engage Muslims.

He also cautioned: “If you as a political candidate choose to spew hatred, bigotry and to vilify Muslim-Americans, you do so at your own political risk. We will use every democratic — small ‘d’ — democratic means political strategies to ensure that your candidacy never succeeds.”

Press conference participants were vague on how the massive Muslim voter registration effort will unfold.

Responding to a reporter’s question on the matter, Jammal said that the coalition will mobilize the Muslim community through early voting efforts and by busing and shuttling voters to polling stations. Via: Daily Caller