The Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance and the Wisconsin Muslim Civic Foundation hosted their first Governor Candidate Forum Wednesday, July 1, at the Oak Creek Performing Arts Center, 304 E. Puetz Rd., from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Four of the seven candidates for Wisconsin governor participated.

“It was very emotional,” said Sheila Badwan about the June 24 grand opening of the Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance and the Wisconsin Muslim Civic Foundation office at 3321 W. Rawson Ave., Franklin. 

Franklin Mayor John Nelson, flanked by WMCA president Badwan and WMCF president Mushir Hassan, M.D., participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony as Muslim community leaders and allies, and elected officials applauded. Soon, Badwan would speak about “what having a building means for our community, especially right now, and why these two organizations matter,” she told the Wisconsin Muslim Journal.

The nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization is condemning bigoted remarks made by Wisconsin Congressman Derrick Van Orden in recent weeks. 

Following reporting Monday from the Milwaukee Courier, archiving Van Orden’s history of anti-Muslim and racist posts to social media and during radio appearances, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) issued a statement on Wednesday. 

The Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance (WMCA) is calling on Congressman Derrick Van Orden to publicly account for a years-long pattern of anti-Muslim rhetoric documented in a recent Milwaukee Courier investigation, which found the congressman repeatedly agreeing with and amplifying baseless, dehumanizing claims about Muslims, including posts falsely linking Islam to child abuse and terrorism.

Salah Sarsour home after 80 days in federal custody. Judge found evidence he was targeted for political speech.

“I have a new life,” Salah Sarsour told a crowd gathered at the Islamic Society of Milwaukee Friday.

MILWAUKEE — After nearly three months in federal immigration detention, Salah Sarsour told supporters at a Milwaukee press conference Friday that he's grateful to be home and focused on building community connections "for the future of our children."

MILWAUKEE, WI — The Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance (WMCA) today celebrates the federal court order for the immediate release of Salah Sarsour, President of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, who has been held in an ICE detention facility in Indiana for more than 80 days.

May 28, 2026, MILWAUKEE, WI — Today, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors voted 16 to 2 to pass Resolution 26-447, condemning the detention of community leader Salah Sarsour and demanding his immediate release from federal custody.

The Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance (WMCA) today applauded the advancement of Resolution 26-447, which passed the Milwaukee County Intergovernmental Relations Committee yesterday and will be heard before the full Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, May 28 at noon in Room 200 of the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

The Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance (WMCA) today applauded the advancement of Resolution 26-447, which passed the Milwaukee County Intergovernmental Relations Committee yesterday and will be heard before the full Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, May 28 at noon in Room 200 of the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

With Wisconsin campaigns for August and November elections in full-swing, Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance and Wisconsin Muslim Civic Foundation are ramping up efforts to engage Wisconsin’s 70,000-plus Muslims in this election cycle.

Kris Seals, the Brookfield alderman who initially refused requests to step down following backlash over LinkedIn comments he made referencing violence against Muslims and others, has decided to resign after all.

Five Muslim candidates are on ballots in Wisconsin’s April 7 nonpartisan elections; all won endorsements from the Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance. 

WMCA is an organization that works to empower the Wisconsin Muslim community in political and civic engagement. 

The president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee and a prominent pro-Palestinian activist has been taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

Salah Sarsour, who grew up in the Israeli occupied West Bank, was detained by ICE agents after he left his home in Franklin on Monday, according to the Islamic Society. His supporters believe his arrest was politically motivated because of his pro-Palestinian activism. 

Lived experience shapes better policy. “Civic power grows when people show up consistently, not just during elections,” Fauzia Qureshi says. She is executive director of social welfare organization Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance (WMCA) and its companion nonprofit Wisconsin Muslim Civic Foundation (WMCF), both dedicated to amplifying Muslim voices at the local, state and federal levels by way of civic and political engagement. WMCA leads advocacy and equity efforts focused on policy, legislation and voters. WMCF focuses on education, leadership development, public awareness initiatives and cultural heritage programming.

A new channel of communication formed Thursday between the Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance and the Milwaukee Police Department in the aftermath of public concern and outrage about MPD Police Chief Jeffrey Norman’s counter terrorism training in Israel.

The Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance (WMCA) is deeply troubled by Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman’s participation in a counterterrorism training program in Israel from December 1–7, 2024, sponsored by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA). This trip, occurring amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, raises serious concerns about the potential adoption of tactics that could harm marginalized communities, including Muslims, in Milwaukee. We stand with residents who expressed strong opposition at the recent Fire and Police Commission meeting. Learning from Israeli national police, whose methods have faced widespread international criticism, risks importing militarized approaches that could erode trust and lead to increased surveillance or profiling of Black, brown, and immigrant communities.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WLUK) -- Nearly a dozen elected, faith and civic leaders gathered in Green Bay Thursday to express their support for the area's Somali community about one week after a racist exchange at Bay Park Square Mall went viral online.

The confrontation, which was caught on camera, occurred between a Somali husband and wife and an employee at the Cinnabon stand inside the Ashwaubenon mall.

Wisconsin — The Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance (WMCA) proudly congratulates a remarkable group of endorsed candidates who secured victories in the April 1, 2025 election. These wins represent a powerful step forward for inclusive, community-driven leadership across Wisconsin.

In Tuesday’s election, Muslims are on the ballot for Wisconsin city council seats—Nabil Salous in Franklin and Abdirahman Siad in Madison. Two important statewide races will also be decided for a Wisconsin Supreme Court judge and the state superintendent of education.