Commentaries


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.

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.

DC News & Views: Breaking the Law to Enforce It: FBI Use of National Security Letters

January 22, 2010

Yesterday, the Department of Justice’s Inspector General released its latest report detailing extensive abuses of the FBI’s massive surveillance powers. In particular, it looked at how the Bureau sought information about individuals’ telephone records through a special investigative tool called “National Security Letters” (NSLs).

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