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Dear John,
Thanks to your support, the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) had a productive week in engaging our government, media, and community coalition building and support.
One Year Later: Providing Support for Afghans and Afghanistan
This week MPAC held One Year Later: Providing Support for Afghans and Afghanistan, a roundtable discussion reflecting on the anniversary of the US withdrawal and support of Afghans and Afghanistan. The panel featured Haris Tarin, Senior Policy Advisor at the Department of Homeland Security, Farid Senzai, Founder & President of Afghan Relief, Asma Mohammadi, Juris Doctor Candidate at American University and an MPAC Youth Leadership Institute Fellow. The discussion included remarks by Masuda Sultan, co-founder of Afghan Women Forward, a project of Afghan Relief.
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The discussion included professors at notable academic institutions, federal government appointees that created platforms as resources for incoming Afghans, and grassroots activists.
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Candlelight Vigil In Honor of the Albuquerque Victims
Following the murder of four Shia Muslim men in Albuquerque, NM MPAC condemned the heinous act of violence that was fueled by anti-Shia sentiments. In the wake of these attacks, we joined the Council on American Islamic Relations, California Shia Muslim Council, Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, and the Church of Latter Day Saints at Islamic Educational Center of Orange County for a candlelight vigil and prayer and a message of unity in honor of the victims.
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Faith, Social Media, & Polarization
Salam Al-Marayati spoke at an One America Movement’s Tech Conference 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee, an Evangelical conference on Faith, Social Media, & Polarization, on how social media is fueling toxic polarization, misinformation, and how faith communities are building resilience to it.
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”Social media has sensationalized the extremist viewpoint and the public latches on without questioning.” – Salam Al-Marayati
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Human Security Workshop: Convert Faith into Action
Last week, MPAC hosted Convert Faith into Action, a Human Security workshop at the Islamic Center of Southern California. MPAC President, Salam Al-Marayati and Chair of MPAC’s African American Insight Council and founder of Inkerij, Umar Hakim-Dey, held a training on our Human Security Campaign. This campaign’s aim is to uphold President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms in all policy making decisions in the city of Los Angeles and in Washington, D.C.: freedom from fear, freedom from want, freedom of expression, and freedom of worship.
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Publications and Media Mentions
MPAC published ‘Failure to take action after Jan. 6 would be an existential threat to America’ in the The Chicago Sun-Times, an op-ed that urges our government to take action against extremists for the sake of protecting our democracy.
MPAC also released a statement condemning the attack on Salman Rushdie and reiterating the importance of upholding the Islamic principles of freedom of speech and expression. Our statement was published in the Erie Times and mentioned on NorthJersey.com. With national media outlets amplifying American Muslim organizations’ responses to the stabbing, our united condemnation of this attack makes it clear that there is no place in our communities for violence.
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Important Legislation just Signed into Law
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which was signed into law earlier this week, includes several provisions regarding drug prices and health insurance. Most notably it will empower the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Xavier Becerra, to negotiate prices directly with pharmaceutical companies. The IRA is a step in the right direction for Human Security for all Americans, and we will continue engaging with the Biden Administration to ensure that Human Security continues to be a top legislative priority.
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Coming Up Next
MPAC is in the process of finalizing our next stop on our Democracy Forum’s tour. We are also in the midst of planning the next MPAC Convention on October 30th. Stay tuned for further updates!
In service,
Mohammad H. Ali
Director of Policy and Government Relations
P.S. We have joined as community partners on Celebrate Mercy’s Launchgood Campaign in support of the victims of those who lost their lives in New Mexico. Join us in responding to evil with good by supporting and sharing this fundraiser.
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