March 20, 2014
On Satuday, March 8, more than a dozen Southern California Muslim community leaders from across the region gathered at MPAC's office for brunch and a discussion about issues affecting our community, such as racism, youth engagement and apathy, and to gain a better understanding of MPAC's work and services.
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READ MOREMarch 19, 2014
A self confessed dreamer, Afiq Ahyaudin has worked with MPAC for about a year, from volunteering to attending the 2013 Young Leaders Civic Summit. This spring, Ahyaudin rejoins the MPAC team as a Spring Graphics and Communications Intern. -
READ MOREMarch 17, 2014
On March 15, 2014, more than 80 women and girls gathered for the successful 2nd Annual Women and Girls Retreat co-sponsored by MPAC, the Islamic Center of Irvine (ICOI) and New Horizon Irvine (NHI). Focusing on the theme of “Making Our Voices Heard,” nine dynamic and inspiring speakers shared their knowledge and know-how to empower the participants to be inspired by the legacy of women before them, identify their dreams, support each other to pursue them, and be able to share their stories effectively. -
READ MOREMarch 14, 2014
The issue of NSA surveillance of civilians through implementing the data mining PRISM program, monitoring telephone records and planting software on personal computers has, over the past few months, launched a national debate about surveillance. However, while the public and media outcry has only risen, the outrage seems to be absent among the Senate Intelligence Committee members who oversee the intelligence agencies. -
READ MOREMarch 7, 2014
This week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Washington, DC, to address the annual convention of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and meet with President Barack Obama to discuss various issues ranging from Iran to the current peace talks. -
READ MOREMarch 4, 2014
On Monday, March 3, the “Dr. Phil Show” aired an episode called “I’m Worried My Daughter May Turn into a Terrorist” which featured Edina Lekovic, MPAC's Director of Policy and Programming. The segment focuses on a mother and daughter, Darlene and Abby, who became estranged after the daughter converted to Islam two years ago. Lekovic sheds light on the teachings of Islam and dispels misconceptions about Muslims. -
READ MOREFebruary 28, 2014
Last night, the Muslim Public Affairs Council, in partnership with the Religious Freedom Center of the Newseum Institute in Washington, DC, hosted a groundbreaking forum celebrating Black History Month -- “Pioneers of Presence: The Legacies and Contributions of African American Muslims.” -
READ MOREFebruary 26, 2014
MPAC is excited to announce it is partnering with Disney/ABC Television Group to offer a one-day TV screenwriters workshop this spring in order to identify and empower American Muslims who want to pursue a career in writing for series TV. -
READ MOREFebruary 24, 2014
MPAC expressed its disappointment with a federal ruling that the New York Police Department’s (NYPD) surveillance of Muslims in New Jersey was “a lawful effort to prevent terrorism.” Eight plaintiffs brought the suit against New York City, claiming that the NYPD infringed on their civil liberties with its mass surveillance of Muslim communities in New Jersey. -
READ MOREFebruary 21, 2014
The United Nations has warned that the Central African Republic (CAR) is heading toward a humanitarian disaster to the point that current sectarian violence between Christian and Muslim militias will end in genocide. Since December 2013, bands of Christian militia, known as anti-Balaka, have waged war on Muslims and their property and engaged in a violent campaign of “ethno-religious cleansing,” according to Amnesty International. French and African Union troops have been stationed in CAR since December but are overwhelmed with the 2.5 million residents requiring assistance and safety. -
READ MOREFebruary 3, 2014
On Friday, Jan. 31, 2014, Riham Osman, MPAC’s Washington, DC, Program Assistant, joined eight Americans across the country for the first “Virtual Road Trip with President Barack Obama on Google+” Hangout three days after his State of the Union address. From the Roosevelt Room of the White House, President Obama responded directly to questions posed by diverse Americans about issues he laid out in his speech. -
READ MOREJanuary 31, 2014
For the athletes entering the Winter Olympics, it’s about the games. For the host city of Sochi, Russia, it’s also an exercise in homeland security. From Feb. 7 to the 23rd, the world will be watching as thousands of athletes from more than 80 countries showcase their skills and extraordinary talents in a competition among the world’s best athletes. Right now, days before the Olympics commence, the Russians have been ramping up their security in Sochi with more than 50,000 police, army and security officers. -
READ MOREJanuary 30, 2014
On Saturday, Jan. 25, community members joined MPAC-Western New York at the Jaffarya Center of Niagara Frontier for its annual meeting, which included board elections, a conversation about contemporary issues facing the American Muslim community and a reception. Fuad Sherrif was elected as the new president, and Dr. Qazi, the chapter cofounder, was named the new Senior Advisor for MPAC-WNY. -
READ MOREJanuary 29, 2014
On Jan. 28, 2014, President Barack Obama delivered his fifth State of the Union, discussing three key elements needed to make America more prosperous: opportunity, action and optimism. Touching upon unemployment, our broken immigration system and equality for women, Obama delivered a powerful speech with some choice words for Congress and their delay tactics. -
READ MOREJanuary 24, 2014
This week, Secretary of State John Kerry announced the departure of Farah Pandith, the State Department’s Special Representative to Muslim Communities. Pandith leaves after almost five years of service in that role. In 2009, then-Secretary Hillary Clinton appointed Pandith to “be responsible for executing a vision for engagement with Muslims around the world based on a people-to-people and organizational level.” -
READ MOREJanuary 17, 2014
The ongoing violence and persecution against the Rohingya people of Myanmar has become increasingly dire in recent months, yet it remains largely overlooked in the public eye. The recently introduced House Resolution 418 urges the government of Burma to end the persecution of the Rohingya people and to respect internationally recognized human rights for all ethnic and religious minority groups within Burma. -
READ MOREJanuary 16, 2014
MPAC's Hollywood Bureau is proud to cosponsor the encore run of "Haram: An abstract drama based on the poetry of Maher Hathout" on Jan. 25 and 26 at the Odyssey Theater. Don't miss seeing Dr. Hathout's dream of seeing a play based on his poetry came true. Buy your tickets today! -
READ MOREJanuary 15, 2014
On Wednesday, Jan. 15, Edina Lekovic, MPAC’s Director of Policy and Programming, was featured in a story on NPR’s All Things Considered, which focused on the physical and symbolic space for women in American mosques. -
READ MOREJanuary 10, 2014
Perhaps one of the longest running social ill our nation has been fighting is poverty. The war on poverty turned 50 years old. When President Lyndon Johnson announced a war on poverty in 1964 during his State of the Union, the national poverty rate was around 19 percent. Today, the national poverty rate hovers around 16 percent with safety net programs taken into account. -
READ MOREJanuary 3, 2014
Last year was full of disappointing domestic and foreign policy decisions that will have serious implications in the year ahead. It was also a year of breaking unfortunate records: Congressional approval ratings sank to a record low of 9 percent, 2.3 million refugees fled Syria making it the worst refugee crisis since Rwanda in 1994, and the U.S. is still engaged in Afghanistan, which has become the longest running and most unpopular war.
