November 14, 2011

MPAC is honored to announce that South African Ambassador to the U.S. Ebrahim Rasool, a long time anti-apartheid leader and prolific speaker, will join Dr. Cornel West as keynote speaker at its 11th annual convention banquet on Saturday, Dec. 17, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

SEE: MPAC Convention - “Spring Forward: America’s Role in A Changing World”
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“We are honored to have such a powerful thought-provoking and political leader join our convention line-up,” said Haris Tarin, MPAC’s Washington, DC Director. “Ambassador Rasool is an inspiration who uses his faith in Islam as a vehicle for peace, justice and reconciliation. We as Americans can learn much from the racial and political transformations South Africa has undergone. ”

Ambassador Rasool has a long history of involvement in the anti-apartheid struggle, which began in high school and included leadership in the United Democratic Front and the African National Congress. He has made many sacrifices in his struggle for justice, including spending time in prison and being put under house arrest. Ambassador Rasool has also been involved in mobilizing Muslims (which make up 3 percent of South Africa’s population), and other faith communities for a deeper understanding of Islam.

SEE: “It is Time to Reassert the Middle Path” (An interview with Ambassador Rasool)

“Muslims are clearly on insecure ground and wrapped in our own inadequacies,” Ambassador Rasool said in a recent interview. “The world is in recession; unemployment is rampant; industries are collapsing. But we are shutting our eyes from all these and indulging in competitive religion as some evangelists can be seen. We need to shift from competitive to collaborative religion. Let us not score points against Christianity or Hinduism. We require research institutes, think tanks and need to think how to reach the Millennium Development Goals.”

MPAC's 11th Annual Convention will bring together leading thinkers and activists to examine the Arab Spring and America’s role in this new era. The convention will feature a dozen high-profile speakers who will explore the ramifications of the changing Muslim world, as well as nonviolent revolutions, foreign policy developments, toppled dictatorships and the evolving nature of the Arab Spring.

SEE: Full list of convention speakers & program