As an immigrant, an American Muslim and someone with family overseas, Qasim Rashid mght not be expected to have anything positive to say about President Donald Trump's recent plan to ban some immigrants.

But the civil-rights lawyer and author says he can't help but thank the new president for the ban on travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries, ironic as that might sound.

He sees a silver lining, not because he thinks the plan makes good sense, but because it has spurred many American Muslims to become more civically and politically active, and many non-Muslim Americans to ask how they can help, he said.

"My faith teaches me to be optimistic," said Rashid, the national spokesman for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA. "I see this as an opportunity to embrace one another with understanding and compassion."

He said more than 13,000 people nationwide have signed up to be a #MuslimAlly, an education campaign he started last year to combat extremism and Islamophobia. And hundreds of "Coffee, Cake & True Islam" meetings have been held in which people can meet local Muslims and talk about their faith.

"Whether things get better, of course, remains to be seen, but our job is to be part of the solution and to lead by example," Rashid said.

Still stunned by Trump's election and stung by his rhetoric, many central Ohio Muslims are organizing in ways never before seen. They're attending rallies, creating community advocacy groups and raising money and looking for local Muslims willing to run for public office.

They're also working hard to unify among themselves and with other faith groups. That sometimes can be tricky because American Muslims come from various backgrounds and nationalities.

"Muslims are not going anywhere. Muslims are here to stay. And we have to be in this together, or it will affect all of us," said Houleye Thiam, a Franklin County social worker who is vice president of the New Citizens Advocacy Coalition, which was formed recently to capitalize on the momentum.

The Muslim population in the United States is relatively small — about 3.3 million, according to a recent report by the Pew Research Center. However, it has the potential to be a powerful influence that in many ways is only now being realized, Thiam said.

For the most part, Muslims historically have wanted to blend in and not call attention to themselves, said Zerqa Abid, a Hilliard mother and social activist. But that has to change, she said, if Muslims want elected officials — from the Columbus City Council all the way up to the White House — to consider their priorities.

"The roller-coaster ride from Trump's first two weeks in office should be proof enough," said Abid, who is president and founder of the Muslims for Ohio PAC. She also runs MY PROJECT USA, a nonprofit group founded to protect impoverished Muslim-American children in the Hilltop against drug dealers, gangs and human traffickers who might prey on their vulnerability.

The key lies in translating in action the anger and anxiety that have emerged in reaction to Trump, said Ibrahima Sow, who came to the United States from Senegal in 1998 and ran unsuccessfully for a Columbus City Council seat in 2015. That includes getting Muslims to go to the polls, run for office and push elected leaders to consider the wants and needs of the Muslim community beyond when they're courting votes.

And the time is now, he said.

Although Sow is heartened by the city's and county's generally welcoming attitude toward immigrants and Muslims, more must be done, he said, especially as racial intolerance grows here and elsewhere.

"With the shooting at the mosque in Quebec, we see words do matter, and I fear for my safety when going to pray at mosques in Columbus," Sow said.

Six Canadian Muslims were killed in Monday's shooting.

Sow said the New Citizens Advocacy Coalition, of which he is president, is working to get central Ohio mosques to consider new safety measures.

"There's no excuse to be ignorant anymore," said Needa Toofanny, a second-year student at Ohio State University and one of several leaders of the Muslim Students' Association.

"We're no longer living in a protectionism age of the '30s, and it would be a mistake to slide backward," said Abdoulaye Fofana, a Columbus tax preparer and West African Muslim.

Thiam said, "The only way to respond to this lack of knowledge and understanding is with peace and kindness. Otherwise, we're no better than those spreading the fear about us."

epyle@dispatch.com

@EncarnitaPyle