MPAC DC

MPAC Participates in UN Human Rights Council Briefing

March 10, 2010

Last week, the director of our Washington, DC Office Haris Tarin was on hand for a briefing held by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations, Suzanne Nossel. During the meeting, the Assistant Secretary outlined the Obama administration's strategy to play an increased role on the United Nations Human Rights Council, a major departure from 8-years of minimal engagement.

DC News & Views: US Congress Addresses Deteriorating Image Abroad

March 05, 2010

Yesterday, both the House and Senate held hearings relevant to the Middle East, U.S.-Muslim world engagement and the U.S. image abroad.  The Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, “Middle East: Ground Truths, Challenges Ahead,” emphasized the ongoing discourse over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its impact on the Muslim communities’ perception, which reflects a lack of confidence in all parties involved to follow through with the implementation of the much-talked about two-state solution.

Action Alert: Urge President Obama & Congress to Make Appointments to Privacy & Civil Liberties Oversight Board

March 04, 2010

Continuing from earlier efforts to get civil liberties concerns properly addressed, the Muslim Public Affairs Council, along with 24 other coalition partners -- including the Defending Dissent Foundation and the American Civil Liberties Union -- are renewing their push to end Presidential foot-dragging in nominating appointees to the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.

Join MPAC-DC Special Event on Census 2010 & Muslim Communities

March 04, 2010

MPAC-DC will be participating in an upcoming event, on March 8 in Washington DC, called, "Census 2010: Muslim Voices Matter," featuring Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN), Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD), and Imam Johari Abdul-Malik at Georgetown University. Also participating will be representatives from the American Muslim Interactive Network, MPAC, and the Arab American Institute.

Debating U.S. Counterterrorism Policy at Yale University

March 04, 2010

Last week, MPAC's Government Liaison Alejandro Beutel traveled to Yale University to participate in a discussion on U.S. counterterrorism policies with Professor Charles Hill. Professor Hill is a diplomat-in-residence at Yale and served as a foreign policy advisor to George Schultz, Henry Kissinger, Ronald Reagan and Rudolph Giuliani. The program, entitled "U.S. Counterterrorism Policies: What is Threat? How Should it be Combated? How Far is Too Far?" was hosted by the campus Muslim Student Association and the International Student Organization.

DC News & Views: Austin Plane Attack Highlights Double Standards

February 26, 2010

A week ago, Joseph Stack flew his plane into an IRS building in Austin. It is shocking that there wasn't non-stop news coverage of the tragic event. After all, the image of shattered buildings and a smoke-filled sky is forever ingrained in the minds of Americans after the attacks of 9/11.  Instead, the news of the day was dominated by the Conservative Political Action Conference and Tiger Woods' impending apology.

DC News & Views: A Dialogue on Our Nation's Security, Without Compromising Our Nation's Integrity

February 19, 2010

On February 13, John Brennan, Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Adviser for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, delivered an address on national security at New York University hosted by the Islamic Center at NYU and the Islamic Law Student’s Association. The speech brought together a group of diverse individuals ranging from leaders from the Muslim American community to government officials for a discussion entitled, “A Dialogue on Our Nation’s Security.”  MPAC’s Executive Director, Salam Al-Marayati, was invited by the White House to attend this important discussion and meet privately with the keynote speaker, John Brennan.

DC News & Views: Why the Census is Crucial for Muslim Americans

February 12, 2010

The U.S. Constitution mandates that every ten years, an official count of the entire population, with basic information such as age, sex, occupation, etc. The Census is taken throughout the country to determine how the 435 seats in the House of Representatives will be divided and assigned. It's time to be counted again in 2010... By March 17th, every residence throughout the United States will receive a census application.

Muslim Communities Worldwide Need to Condemn Shia Massacres

February 06, 2010

The Muslim world is facing the nadir of its history as bloodletting continues without reproach in places like Karbala, Iraq and Karachi, Pakistan, where Shia pilgrims were commemorating the 40th day after the martyrdom of Imam Husayn, the grandson of the Prophet and the son of Imam Ali.  As the referenced Quranic verse is violated and glossed over by Muslims, we are sinking into an abyss of fratricide and sectarian venom.

Announcing MPAC-DC's Graduate Policy Fellowship (Deadline extended to 2/26/10)

February 03, 2010

The Washington, DC office of the Muslim Public Affairs Council is looking for the best and brightest of America's graduate students who are interested in engaging in our nation's policymaking process to apply for our newly created Graduate Policy Fellowship.

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