With the municipal election less than two weeks away, the Charlotte Muslim Caucus plans to host a forum with elected officials about the transit sales tax referendum on the ballot on Nov. 4.
The forum is expected to feature state and local officials, including Council member Dimple Amjera, County Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell, state Sen. Mujtaba Mohammed, and North Carolina House Rep. Nasif Majeed, who is the father of Nasif Ibn Majeed, who organized the forum.
Nasif Iben Majeed is the founder of the Charlotte Muslim Caucus. The nonpartisan Muslim caucus was formed about two years ago to provide those in the Muslim community with information related to local politics. Nasif Iben Majeed says the goal of this weekend's forum is to make those in the muslim community more aware of local issues.
“Politics is tricky for some, especially local politics, with so much news and attention on national politics,” Nasif Iben Majeed said. "Sometimes, your local politics gets in the weeds, and people don't really pay much attention. We want to change that because it affects us more intimately.”
Nov. 4, voters will decide whether to increase the county sales tax by one cent to fund improved transit and roads. The transit vote has received more attention after 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, a woman from Ukraine, was stabbed and killed on the light rail in August.
The killing led to national outrage, with President Trump criticizing local leaders in Charlotte. The killing also led to concerns among the Muslim community in Charlotte.
“A lot of people were shocked, and a lot of people were kind of afraid to use, to have or go use transportation in certain areas,” Nasif Ibn Majeed. "We want to be able to address people’s concerns.”
Sunday’s forum starts at 4:15 p.m. at the Islamic Society of Greater Charlotte.
