November 8, 2013
In 2013, the number of American Muslims in visibly appointed positions is grossly out of sync with the number of those who are politically and civically active all around the country. Yes, there are American Muslims serving in Congress, federal agencies from the Department of Homeland Security to the Department of Education and the White House; yet high level appointments at the federal level remain elusive. Why haven’t American Muslims’ civic and political engagement translated to appointed positions?
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READ MORENovember 7, 2013
Earlier this week, MPAC sent a letter to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Director John Pistole offering condolences following the shooting last week at Los Angeles International Airport that left one TSA officer dead and wounded six others. -
READ MORENovember 6, 2013
Recently, MPAC joined the Arab American Institute in holding “The Road to Immigration Reform,” a community forum focusing on the political and social impact of immigration reform. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), White House Deputy Policy Director for Immigration Tyler Moran and immigration attorney Kamal Essaheb spoke before an audience of about 100 people at the Muslim Community Center of Silver Spring, MD. -
READ MORENovember 5, 2013
On Saturday, Nov. 9, MPAC and a dozen local Islamic centers will honor philanthropist and hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons as a “Voice of Courage and Conscience” for using his celebrity to promote acceptance and understanding in the face of bigotry toward Islam and Muslims and his consistent efforts to promote the voices and talents of Muslim artists on mainstream outlets. -
READ MORENovember 4, 2013
MPAC calls on all concerned Americans to support the USA Freedom Act, a bipartisan bill introduced by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI). -
READ MORENovember 1, 2013
Fulfilling the pilgrimage to Mecca, Hajj, is an obligation upon every financially- and physically-abled Muslim. The experience is meant to be a test of patience, endurance, unity in diversity and will to remain in a spiritual state of being while away from life’s comforts. Tragically, a group of American Muslims experienced an ugly betrayal of the sacred values associated with this once-in-a-lifetime journey of faith. -
READ MOREOctober 29, 2013
On Saturday, Nov. 2, MPAC will release the “Declaration Against Extremism,” authored by MPAC’s co-founder and senior adviser Dr. Maher Hathout, which defines the dangers of extremism and issues a clarion call for action. -
READ MOREOctober 25, 2013
This week, the Anti-Defamation League listed the Muslim Public Affairs Council as one of the top ten anti-Israel groups in the nation. MPAC’s inclusion on the list is baseless and is not only ineffective, but counterproductive to building an interfaith base supporting the Middle East peace process. In a letter to the leadership of the ADL, we wrote, “The fact that any critical evaluation of Israeli policy, whether by MPAC or any other party, is deemed by ADL as ‘anti-Israel activity’ and ‘involvement in anti-Israel campaigns’ is an infringement of freedom of speech. -
READ MOREOctober 21, 2013
Recently, Haris Tarin, Director of MPAC's DC Office, spoke on a panel at the International Center for Journalists conference. The annual event brings together reporters, producers and other executives in the media industry to address issues impacting media coverage of various issues and events. -
READ MOREOctober 18, 2013
When the 16-day federal government shutdown finally came to an end yesterday, President Obama immediately made it known he will not be wasting any time and laid out three areas requiring immediate attention, including immigration reform. “We should finish the job of fixing our broken immigration system,” Obama said. “There's already a broad coalition across America that's behind this effort of comprehensive immigration reform, from business leaders to faith leaders to law enforcement.” -
READ MOREOctober 16, 2013
MPAC’s Hollywood Bureau is proud to announce that it will be co-sponsoring the 17th Annual Arab Film Festival on Oct. 18-20 at the Harmony Gold Theater in Hollywood. -
READ MOREOctober 11, 2013
Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to reach out to Iranian youth during a BBC Persian TV interview by saying, “If the people of Iran were free, they could wear jeans, listen to Western music and have free elections.” Apparently, Netanyahu did not do any research on Iranian youth or get the memo on effective ways to speak to young people. After his BBC interview, hundreds of Twitter users from Iran posted pictures of Iranians in jeans and holding pop album covers. -
READ MOREOctober 8, 2013
MPAC's Hollywood Bureau is pleased to announce that political comedian Dean Obeidallah and artist Amir Sulaiman will be part of the lineup for “Raising Voices of Courage and Conscience,” an event honoring philanthropist and hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons at University of Southern California on Nov. 9. -
READ MOREOctober 7, 2013
Last Thursday, Oct. 3, more than 150 people gathered in Washington, DC, for the Muslim Public Affairs Council’s first “Empowering Voices” dinner honoring Rashad Hussain, the U.S. Special Envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and Paul Monteiro, Public Engagement Adviser for the White House Office of Public Engagement, for their dedicated work to public service and empowering the American Muslim community. -
READ MOREOctober 4, 2013
Amidst the ongoing upheaval in the Arab world which has been marked by violence, an important piece of good news has emerged from the “motherland of the Arab Spring.” Tunisia’s ruling Ennahda party last week agreed to step down as part of an agreement reached with opposition forces. The move comes in the wake of heavy public opposition to the Islamist party, a string of terrorist attacks, as well as recent assassinations of two leftist leaders that left the party’s reputation badly tarnished and the country in a state of political paralysis. -
READ MOREOctober 2, 2013
Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 12:01 a.m., our nation experienced its first federal government shutdown in 17 years. The shutdown has far-reaching consequences, with more than 800,000 federal workers facing furlough. MPAC stands with the thousand of workers having to maneuver through this troubling time and the millions who will suffer from the rippling effect it will have on their lives. The government shutdown is an inexcusable act by a government that is the strongest in the world. -
READ MOREOctober 1, 2013
On Friday, Sept. 27, the Islamic Center of Irvine (ICOI) and MPAC partnered to host a packed community forum called “Let's Be Honest: Getting Beyond the Taboos of Our Community." The conversation featured MPAC President Salam Al-Marayati, marriage and family therapist Noha Alshugairi, ICOI Resident Scholar Sheikh Jamaal Diwan and Program Services Manager at Girls Inc., Noreen Rahman. -
READ MORESeptember 27, 2013
With the latest attacks in Nairobi, Kenya, by the al-Qaeda-affiliated group Al-Shabaab, American national security circles are once again turning their attention to the Somalia-based group and the threat it poses both domestically and internationally. Media pundits also have shifted their focus from research to rabble-rousing. -
READ MORESeptember 26, 2013
On Tuesday afternoon in New York, the presidents of the Muslim Public Affairs Council and the Islamic Society of North America, Salam Al-Marayati and Imam Mohamed Magid, joined other prominent American Muslim leaders for a meeting with the new president of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, to discuss the growing violence in Syria and sectarian tensions which inspired MPAC’s “Intra-faith Code of Honor.” -
READ MORESeptember 23, 2013
Aisha Iqbal is currently a sophomore at the George Washington University pursuing a dual-degree in international affairs and economics and is MPAC's new fall intern in the Washington, DC, office.
