December 6, 2007

The Muslim Public Affairs Council today announced that it would present its inaugeral Community Leadership Awards to two Los Angeles-based social services and healthcare organizations during its 7th annual convention banquet dinner on Saturday, December 15.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS ONLINE TODAY!

The UMMA Community Clinic and the ILM Foundation will be recognized for their inspiring commitment and ongoing efforts to address the needs and challenges of vulnerable populations. UMMA Clinic President and CEO Yasser Aman and Ilm Foundation Executive Director Naim Shah, Jr. will accepting the awards on behalf of their respective organizations.

Established in 1990 by UCLA graduate and medical students in collaboration with Charles R. Drew University, the UMMA Community Clinic is a free clinic in medically underserved South Central Los Angeles. Ninety-percent of the UMMA Community Clinic's patients are from a three mile radius around the clinic. The clinic sees an average of 170 patients weekly and has a patient population of nearly 15,000 individuals who have logged about 21,000 visits. In April, the UMMA Clinic was invited to participate in a special Congressional hearing which discussed the current crisis and future of the nation's healthcare system.

Created in 1998, the ILM Foundation works to "teach life skills to replace social ills" by promoting the Islamic values of intellect, love and mercy. ILM rose from years of sincere community service by its founder Imam Saadiq Saafir, who is known for saying "Islam is a social religion and began by providing solutions to the social problems that fractured humanity. A Muslim is instructed not to go to sleep if his neighbor is hungry."

The ILM Foundation is one of the few domestic agencies geared to assist Muslims from L.A.'s inner city to address obstacles posed by single headed female households, incarceration, homelessness, unemployment, hunger, substance abuse and domestic violence. The ILM Foundation provides food programs, youth and family mentoring services, prison outreach and the development of community coalitions.

MPAC's day-long convention will bring together a prestigious group of academic leaders, policymakers, religious leaders, and civil rights advocates to discuss the theme of "Islam: A Call for Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness".

Confirmed speakers include (in alphabetical order):

• Shahed Amanullah (Founder, AltMuslim.com)
• Ambassador Lawrence Butler (Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs)
• Malka Fenyvesi (Co-Director of NewGround: A Muslim Jewish Partnership for Change)
• Dr. Fawaz Gerges (Author, "The Far Enemy: Why Jihad Went Global" & ABCnews analyst)
• Democratic Presidential Senator Candidate Mike Gravel
• Dr. Gwynne Guibord (Co-Founder, Christian Muslim Consultative Group)
• Dr. Maher Hathout (Author, "In Pursuit of Justice: The Jurisprudence of Human Rights in Islam")
• David Hiller (CEO & Publisher, Los Angeles Times)
• Dr. Ingrid Mattson (President, Islamic Society of North America)
• Dr. Eboo Patel (Executive Director, Interfaith Youth Core and Author, "Acts of Faith")
• Stephen Rohde (ACLU-LA Board Member)
• Omar Sarwar (Columbia University Doctoral Candidate)
• Shakeel Syed (Executive Director, Islamic Shura Council of Southern California)
• Steve Simon (Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies, Council on Foreign Relations)
• Akil Vohra (Charity Works Program Director, Muslim Advocates)
• Ahmed Younis (Senior Analyst, Gallup Organization Center for Muslim Studies)
• Shaarik Zafar (Office for Civil Rights & Civil Liberties, Department of Homeland Security)

Click here to find out more about the three simultaneous programs which will be featured during the convention: the main program, the full-day youth program and the children's program!

Click here to purchase your tickets online or call (213) 383-3443. Adult tickets are available for $35/convention, $45/banquet or $70/both. Student tickets are available for $20/convention, $20/banquet or $40/both.