June 14, 2013
The notion that we must give up liberty for freedom has taken our country into a whole new realm of Orwellian life. This week, reports revealed a top-secret NSA program, PRISM, has been collecting data on American citizens through monitoring emails, text messages, phone calls and other methods of communications.
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READ MOREJune 7, 2013
Agents at Boston's Logan International Airport said fellow employees in the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) behavior detection program were targeting minorities for questioning based on their race or ethnicity. In fact, the TSA’s own Inspector General found that the behavioral detection program has done little more in the past seven years than racial profiling of unsuspecting passengers. -
READ MOREMay 31, 2013
This week, it has been reported that President Barack Obama is prepared to nominate James Comey to direct the FBI. Currently, Director Robert Mueller’s term is set to expire in September leaving the position vacant and the Bureau satiated with public relations problems. -
READ MOREMay 24, 2013
Yesterday at the National Defense University, President Barack Obama laid out a comprehensive outline of our counter-terrorism policy to end our state of continual warfare. In what seemed like a speech filled with frustrations, the President finally put to words and laid to rest the thoughts and feelings many have had about our use of targeted force, dismantling of Al-Qaeda and detention facilities. -
READ MOREMay 16, 2013
Last Saturday, Pakistan’s national election proved to be a milestone in the political development of a country that has been entrenched in turmoil and grief for several months, if not years. In more than 60 years, this is the first time in the country’s history that one elected government served its full five-year term and subjected itself to the electorate in a free and fair manner. -
READ MOREMay 10, 2013
With all the political gridlock of Washington, DC, it seems the only status of detainees in Guantanamo (Gitmo) Bay is limbo. Though President Barack Obama reaffirmed his commitment to shutting down the detention facility as a moral and national security issue, the reality is that more than half of the Gitmo detainees are approaching the third month of their hunger strike. -
READ MOREMay 3, 2013
What exactly are President Barack Obama's red lines when it comes to the crisis in Syria, and when does crossing them translate into actual global action? This week, reports released by the Syrian National Coalition, the opposition party recognized by the U.S., show that Bashar al-Assad’s regime has used chemical weapons against his own citizens. How much more evidence do we need before we finally step in and stop the atrocities? -
READ MOREApril 26, 2013
In the aftermath of the tragic events in Boston, the hot topic once again is the conversation around countering violent extremism and the role the American Muslim community can play in ensuring that our nation remains safe. Though Muslim organizations, institutions and leaders sent out messages of unity and solidarity in response to the tragedy, we must continue to show leadership in approaching and eliminating the scourge of violent extremism. -
READ MOREApril 13, 2013
American Muslim activists have unfairly been accused of being Islamists, as in synonymous for militants, extremists or radicals. We applaud AP for this step in accurate reporting about Islam and Muslims, and we look forward to other media outlets following AP’s lead. -
READ MOREApril 5, 2013
Last week, MPAC President Salam Al-Marayati and Haris Tarin, DC Director, traveled to Paris, France for the first international Muslim Minorities Colloquium hosted by the World for All Foundation. Founded by Ebrahim Rasool, currently the South African Ambassador to the U.S., the foundation convened an impressive array of Muslim leaders from over 20 countries to share their experiences in dealing with civic, political and social integration in their respective societies. -
READ MOREApril 4, 2013
MPAC's Young Leaders Program Coordinator, Yasmin Hussein spoke at the Muslim Inter-Scholastic Tournament (MIST) in Washington, DC, last weekend, where she conducted two workshops and sat on a panel during the main town hall session. The session was attended by over 600 American Muslim high school students from the DC-Maryland-Virginia area. -
READ MOREApril 4, 2013
Recently, the Wilson Center in Washington, DC held a half-day conference with American Muslim public officials, where MPAC was recognized for its role in advancing Muslim political participation. The Center featured public officials from around the country: Judges Halim Dhanidina and David Shaheed; Mayors Abdul Haidous, Mohammed Hameeduddin and Wayne Smith; and City Council Member Robert Jackson. -
READ MOREMarch 29, 2013
Remember the USA PATRIOT Act? Passed hastily in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the Act is meant to deter and punish terrorist acts in the U.S. and around the world by enhancing law enforcement investigatory tools. One of the key provisions of the Act allowed any government agency to issue what they called a National Security Letter (NSL). -
READ MOREMarch 22, 2013
President Barack Obama’s trip to the Middle East this week may not be just another visit to the region; it could become the catalyst for restarting the peace talks between the Palestinians and Israelis. Speaking yesterday to mostly young Israelis in Jerusalem, Obama urged them to demand peace from their political leaders. -
READ MOREMarch 6, 2013
The persistent and horrific attacks against Shia in Pakistan and the Middle East are an outrageous violation of Islam. Hundreds have been killed in the most recent string of sectarian violence across the region. MPAC condemns all attacks on minority groups and calls on all the governments in these countries as well as Muslim leaders to act immediately to stop this cancerous fratricide within our faith. -
READ MOREFebruary 22, 2013
The Muslim Public Affairs Council calls upon all concerned citizens and communities to contact their senators and urge them to end the filibuster of former Sen. Chuck Hagel’s nomination for Secretary of Defense. The consequence of this political rancor has left the country without a Secretary of Defense and has eroded the integrity of the Senate. -
READ MOREFebruary 13, 2013
Last night, President Barack Obama delivered his State of the Union, kicking off his second presidential term with an emphasis on domestic policies and recognizing the state of prosperity our nation has been able to create and sustain. From a decade-long war to a crippling economy, our nation has gone through tremendous growing pains these past few years, and the President should be commended for enacting policy changes that have kept us afloat. -
READ MOREFebruary 8, 2013
Imagine an America that gives her president the ultimate authority to target and kill American citizens overseas. Well, in September 2011, the United States came to that point and carried out that exact mission. It took less than 250 years for us as a nation to affirm that reality. In the name of national security, the United States can target and kill an American citizen overseas, without due process, if that American is a “senior, operational leader” of al-Qaeda or one of its affiliates. This all came to light from Department of Justice documents leaked earlier this week. -
READ MOREFebruary 1, 2013
With the confirmation of Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) as the next Secretary of State, we will soon see a shift in our diplomatic agenda, as the five-term senator is no stranger to foreign relations having chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for the past four years. -
READ MOREJanuary 25, 2013
On Monday, Jan. 21, President Barack Obama was publicly sworn in for his second term as the 44th president of the United States. In his inaugural address, Obama laid out an ambitious plan to move America forward, and we hope this proves to be more fruitful than the last four years.
