July 28, 2008

On Thursday, July 31, Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA), chairman of the "House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade" will call on self-proclaimed "terrorism expert" Steven Emerson to testify at a congressional hearing.

SEE: Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade Hearing Information (U.S. House of Representatives, 7/28/08)

Emerson will testify on a panel entitled "Foreign Aid and the Fight Against Terrorism and Proliferation: Leveraging Foreign Aid to Achieve U.S. Policy Goals." Emerson has a proven track record of anti-Muslim bigotry and is not a credible expert on foreign aid and non-proliferation.

Officials close to the subcommittee, including some congressional watchdog groups, have raised concerns about Emersons participation on Shermans subcommittee. They emphasize that Emerson does not have the necessary expertise on foreign aid or foreign policy to testify at such a hearing. Washington, D.C. insiders suspect that this hearing is a careless move on the part of the subcommittee and Congressman Sherman and will add to preexistent anti-Muslim hate-mongering.

MPAC is concerned that testimony from Emerson will lead to reckless policy-making. This will undermine U.S. interests of achieving peace and stability in the Muslim world. MPAC calls upon all Americans to act now and urge Congressman Sherman to ensure that the hearing include qualified experts who can balance the bias of Emerson, or cancel the panel.

Act now and contact Congressman Brad Sherman by phone or fax.

Washington, D.C. Office
2242 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515-0524
Phone: (202) 225-5911
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5000 Van Nuys Blvd. Suite 420
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
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