September 18, 2015

Yesterday, President Obama announced his intention to appoint Aziza Hasan to the President’s third Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Hasan, who was previously with MPAC, having served from 2006-2012 as the California Government Relations Director, was responsible for managing MPAC’s relationship with local government. She currently serves as Executive Director for New Ground: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change. New Ground aims to give Muslim and Jewish leaders the skills and resources that help improve relations between the two faiths. 

The Presidential Advisory Council is made of religious and non-religious leaders, and is tasked with advising the President on policies to address creating equal opportunity for all, including those in low-income communities. In addition, the Council works on representing the needs of faith-based organizations.

Hasan’s appointment is an example of civic integration that our community needs and MPAC encourages. Being part of government and institutions that make policy is crucial to making change. Advocating from the outside, while important, is much easier when there are people within policy-making circles that can engage and agree with your vision.  Like many other minority groups in this country, the American Muslim community must become a part of our civic institutions in order to have a relevant voice in policy-making.

However, this is more than just a win for the American Muslim community- it is a win for our government. By appointing diverse, intellectual individuals such as Hasan, the Council benefits from a unique point of view and experiences that will only add to its ability to recommend effective policies.

MPAC is proud to continue the tradition of civic engagement and highlight the importance of being involved in the decision making process of shaping policies that affect our communities and our nation at large. We look forward to engaging the President’s third Council and seeing the work that evolves from it.