Within days of the September 11th terrorist attacks, members of the Arab community gathered and discussed their concerns and what to do to protect their community from hate crimes and malicious harassment. Thus the Arab American Community Coalition (AACC) was born. A 24-hour hotline was established with Arabic and English speakers to help community members. While originally established for the Greater Seattle area, the AACC has taken calls from throughout the United States. Community members quickly realized that malicious harassment was the least of the Arab community's worries the United States government was a bigger thorn in the Arab and Muslim communities' sides. The AACC extended their focus to civil rights. To that end, the Arab American Community Coalition has contributed greatly to the Arab and Muslim communities not only in the Greater Seattle Area but also throughout the United States.