This is the archived version of MPAC's website. For the latest updates, visit mpac.org.
This is the archived version of MPAC's website. For the latest updates, visit mpac.org.
This is the archived version of MPAC's website. For the latest updates, visit mpac.org.
Muslim Public Affairs Council
$ Donate + Subscribe

Videos

Solidarity without Borders: How Human Security is a Growing Issue in Palestine

Videos
On June 15, 2020 By MPAC
With growing tensions around the globe, the notion of solidarity is sprouting in many conversations. But what does the term solidarity truly mean? In this webinar, we spoke with Dr. Khaled Elghindy of the Middle East Institute and learned more about the atrocities occurring in Palestine and how the security of our brothers and sisters around the world impacts American National Security as well. Khaled Elgindy is director of the Program on Palestine and Palestinian-Israeli Affairs at the Middle East Institute (MEI) and an adjunct instructor in Arab Studies at Georgetown University. He is the author of the new book, Blind Spot: America and the Palestinians, from Balfour to Trump, published by Brookings Institution Press in April 2019. Elgindy previously served as a resident scholar in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution from 2010 through 2018. Prior to arriving at Brookings, he served as an adviser to the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah on permanent status negotiations with Israel from 2004 to 2009, and was a key participant in the Annapolis negotiations of 2007-08. Elgindy has held a number of political and policy-related positions in Washington, DC, both inside and outside of government, including as a professional staff member for the U.S. House of Representatives International Relations Committee in 2002 and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) from 2000-2002. He has also held positions at the Arab American Institute (AAI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI). Elgindy holds an M.A. degree in Arab Studies from Georgetown University (1994) and a B.A. in Political Science from Indiana University-Bloomington (1991). ---------- Subscribe to MPAC's channel: http://bit.ly/MPACYouTube Like MPAC on Facebook: http://fb.com/mpacnational Follow MPAC on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mpac_national Follow MPAC on Instagram: http://instagram.com/mpac_national Visit MPAC's website: http://mpac.org About the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) We improve public understanding and policies that impact American Muslims by engaging our government, media, and communities. Help us to continue this work by making a donation today: http://mpac.org/give.
Read more

Muslims buy lunch for healthcare workers during Ramadan

Videos
On May 29, 2020 By MPAC
As we celebrated the end of Ramadan (a month of fasting from food and water from sunrise to sunset), Muslims in and around the San Fernando Valley expressed our heartfelt gratitude to local healthcare workers defending us on the frontlines while we stay safe at home during this pandemic. The following organizations graciously donated 270 lunches to the staff at Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills: Muslim Public Affairs Council (mpac.org) Islamic Center of Southern California (islamiccenter.com) Islamic Center of Northridge (goicn.org) Islamic Society of West Valley (iswv.org) The lunches were provided by family-run restaurants to support local businesses. ---------- Subscribe to MPAC's channel: http://bit.ly/MPACYouTube Like MPAC on Facebook: http://fb.com/mpacnational Follow MPAC on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mpac_national Follow MPAC on Instagram: http://instagram.com/mpac_national Visit MPAC's website: http://mpac.org About the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) We improve public understanding and policies that impact American Muslims by engaging our government, media, and communities. Help us to continue this work by making a donation today: http://mpac.org/give.
Read more

Children’s Media: Why Representation Matters More Than Ever For Our Kids

Videos
On May 19, 2020 By MPAC
The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) Hollywood Bureau has been honored to work on an array of films and TV shows, most recently delving into children’s televsion with projects like Glitch Techs and Mira, Royal Detective. We are thrilled that both of these series featuring strong Muslim characters were on Variety’s list of shows for kids to watch during self-isolation. In this webinar, we discussed the importance of inclusion in children’s media with Sascha Paladino, Executive Producer of Mira, Royal Detective, Disney Junior’s first animated series with a lead South Asian female character, and Actor Rizwan Manji, who voices the roles of Ajay and Mr. Khan; Dan Milano, Executive Producer and co-creator of the Netflix’s Glitch Techs, and Actor Zehra Fazal, who voices its Muslim character Zahra. About our panelists: Sascha Paladino is the creator and executive producer of Disney’s Miles From Tomorrowland, an animated intergalactic adventure series and the first children’s program to premiere in outer space on the International Space Station. Rizwan Manji is perhaps best known for his character Rajiv Gidwani, the hilariously scheming assistant manager on NBC’s Outsourced, and currently stars on NBC’s Perfect Harmony, SyFy’s The Magicians, and Pop TV’s Schitt’s Creek. Dan Milano has written and performed for animated shows including Star Wars Detours, Dawn of the Croods, and Robot Chicken, and co-created the FOX live-action series Greg the Bunny. Zehra Fazal is a voice actor whose credits include Young Justice Outsiders, Voltron: Legendary Defender, Bojack Horseman, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Craig of the Creek, Adam Ruins Everything, and Lost in Space. ---------- Subscribe to MPAC's channel: http://bit.ly/MPACYouTube Like MPAC on Facebook: http://fb.com/mpacnational Follow MPAC on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mpac_national Follow MPAC on Instagram: http://instagram.com/mpac_national Visit MPAC's website: http://mpac.org About the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) We improve public understanding and policies that impact American Muslims by engaging our government, media, and communities. Help us to continue this work by making a donation today: http://mpac.org/give.
Read more

Ramadan Mubarak!

Videos
On April 26, 2020 By MPAC
Ramadan Mubarak from all of us at MPAC and our Congressional, civic, and Hollywood partners! In the midst of this pandemic, our work in improving policies and representation for American Muslims continues. We pray that you experience a peaceful, introspective, and deeply spiritual month with your families and loved ones. May God bless us all with health, safety, and protection. ---------- Subscribe to MPAC's channel: http://bit.ly/MPACYouTube Like MPAC on Facebook: http://fb.com/mpacnational Follow MPAC on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mpac_national Follow MPAC on Instagram: http://instagram.com/mpac_national Visit MPAC's website: http://mpac.org About the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) We improve public understanding and policies that impact American Muslims by engaging our government, media, and communities. Help us to continue this work by making a donation today: http://mpac.org/give.
Read more

All ACCESS: Why Community Services are More Needed than Ever

Videos
On April 24, 2020 By MPAC
In these unprecedented times, COVID-19 has taken a toll on many communities, with vulnerable populations bearing the brunt of the Pandemic. In this webinar, ACCESS representatives from Michigan and California discussed how essential community services are during this time, and the work they are doing to keep so many safe and alive. ACCESS (Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services) has been serving the community for more than 47 years. Founded by a group of dedicated volunteers in 1971 out of a storefront in Dearborn’s impoverished south end, ACCESS was created to assist the Arab immigrant population adapt to life in the United States.Today, ACCESS is the largest Arab American community nonprofit in the United States. With 11 locations and more than 120 programs serving metro Detroit, ACCESS offers a wide range of social, economic, health and educational services to a diverse population. A recipient of the “Champion of Change” award from the White House in 2014, Nahla Kayali is described as an advocate and a leader who inspires, elevates, and empowers underserved individuals and families to ensure they have access to health and human services. Arriving to the United States as a Palestinian refugee from Syria at the age of 16, and married, and only having finished the 9th grade, Nahla founded Access California Services (AccessCal) in 1998, a culturally and linguistically competent health and human services non-profit organization in Anaheim dedicated to empowering under-served populations, with a focus on Arab- American & Muslim- American communities. Under Nahla’s executive leadership, AccessCal has grown from a budget of $2,000 to $1.9 million serving 11,000 unduplicated clients and providing over 65,000 services, annually. Nahla’s work continues to make an impact at the local and national level and has awarded her multiple recognitions from public officials, foundations, corporations and service providers. As President and Chief Executive Officer of ACCESS, Hassan Jaber has helped grow the organization from a small group of volunteers, to one with over 100 programs at 11 locations today, which includes three national institutions, all serving communities of all backgrounds. ACCESS is one of the nation’s most impactful and prolific Arab American community nonprofit organization. It has strengthened communities and established institutions with a focus on community empowerment, at both local and national levels. Based in the Detroit area, ACCESS transitions people from being service recipients to fully engaged citizens able to advance justice and equity. The approximately 120 human services programs serve thousands of vulnerable individuals and families every day through health, education, employment and social services. However, ACCESS’ impact also extends far beyond a regional presence in southeast Michigan. Through its national institutions - Arab American National Museum, Center for Arab American Philanthropy and National Network for Arab American Communities - ACCESS leverages the power of Arab Americans in the arts, philanthropy and advocacy to advance social change on a national level. Prior to his appointment as Executive Director in 2007, Hassan was thePresident and Chief Executive Officer at ACCESS for 27 years. ---------- Subscribe to MPAC's channel: http://bit.ly/MPACYouTube Like MPAC on Facebook: http://fb.com/mpacnational Follow MPAC on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mpac_national Follow MPAC on Instagram: http://instagram.com/mpac_national Visit MPAC's website: http://mpac.org About the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) We improve public understanding and policies that impact American Muslims by engaging our government, media, and communities. Help us to continue this work by making a donation today: http://mpac.org/give.
Read more

Handle with Care Treating Domestic Workers and Caregivers as Essential

Videos
On April 24, 2020 By MPAC
The coronavirus crisis has revealed the centrality of domestic and caregiving work to our economic and social system. Deindustrialization has shifted most jobs to the service sector, a sizable portion of which are domestic and care work. Also, the introduction of women into fields of the economy which were typically occupied by men has outsourced their previous roles, such as child-rearing and home-making, to domestic and care laborers. These are workers who reproduce the next generation of workers, doctors, teachers, politicians, and role models, while also, in the case of eldercare workers, caring after previous generations. While we may understand the importance of these workers in an abstract sense, the health and economic consequences of the coronavirus has cast into clear view the brutal reality of this fact. It has also cast into stark relief the poor treatment and inadequate benefits our system of government affords these workers. Not only are they ill-equipped to continue safely working during this crisis, they are expected to take existential risks without hazard pay, or an increase in other health and subsistence benefits. How our government chooses to treat our essential workers is a litmus test for how they will treat the rest of us; do they consider us worthy of compensation and investment, or not? In this webinar discover how they are fighting for increased attention and care during this time, and what they consider to be the state-of-play moving forward, both for them and for the broader public who so heavily relies on their work. As Culture Change Director at the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Kristina leverages the power of culture to change perceptions and behaviors related to and impacting domestic workers and the communities that comprise the sector including women of color and immigrants. Kristina develops opportunities to drive and amplify our culture change goals and strategies by coordinating the development of unique content, through partnerships with creatives across mediums, and by spearheading cultural organizing campaigns. Kristina led NDWA’s award winning Roma social impact campaign alongside Participant. Kristina has over 15 years of experience in the entertainment industry as an actress. Before moving into the culture change field, she worked in communications and fundraising at several domestic and international nonprofits. Kristina was a regional field organizer with Organizing for America, President Obama’s grassroots re-election team in 2012. She is on the advisory board of Komera, a nonprofit in Rwanda that empowers girls through education, community and sport. Kristina is on the Coordinating Committee of Storyline Partners, a collective of non-profit organizations that collaborates with the entertainment industry to seed new narratives in television and film. Kristina graduated magna cum laude from UCLA with a B.A. in Political Science. Ishita Srivastava is a cultural strategist and producer for Caring Across Generations who believes in the power of storytelling and pop culture to move hearts and minds and transform social norms to create lasting social change. With 9 years of experience working at the intersection of social change movements, media, and pop culture, Ishita came to lead the culture change strategy work at Caring Across Generations in 2017. She previously worked at Breakthrough, a global human rights organization where she produced digital campaigns and projects spotlighting immigrant rights, racial justice, and gender justice, most notably THE G WORD, an interactive storytelling platform about people’s personal stories about gender norms and gender-based violence. In producing innovative projects that inspire and move people, she has brokered and managed partnerships with multiple organizations, in the U.S. and internationally, as well as artists, storytellers, and strategists from the worlds of advertising and entertainment. Born and raised in New Delhi, she holds a BA in English literature from St. Stephens College, a BA in media and communications from Goldsmiths College, and an MA in cinema studies and culture and media from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Her documentary film, Desigirls, examines the intersection of gender, sexuality and immigrant culture as it follows two women as they negotiate their varied and often fraught experiences as queer Indian women in New York City. Ishita, famously, does not like sweets. Subscribe to MPAC's channel: http://bit.ly/MPACYouTube Like MPAC on Facebook: http://fb.com/mpacnational Follow MPAC on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mpac_national Follow MPAC on Instagram: http://instagram.com/mpac_national Visit MPAC's website: http://mpac.org About the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) We improve public understanding and policies that impact American Muslims by engaging our government, media, and communities. Help us to continue this work by making a donation today: http://mpac.org/give.
Read more

Stressed but Blessed: What Religious Leaders and Organizations Are Doing in the Time of COVID-19

Videos
On April 20, 2020 By MPAC
Religious institutions have been at the center of community organizing and gathering. In an effort to promote social distance, normal programming has been paused by most institutions. Regardless of the inability to be physically present at spiritual events, religious leaders are becoming more organized together both with their own congregation and interfaith communities to promote initiatives that help to alleviate the suffering of all. In this webinar, hear from the President of the Interfaith Alliance, Rabbi Jack Moline, who will discuss what communities can do in this time to support one another. Jack Moline is President of Interfaith Alliance. He is also Rabbi Emeritus of Agudas Achim Congregation in Alexandria, Virginia, where he served in the pulpit for 27 years. He is an adjunct faculty member of the Jewish Theological Seminary and Virginia Theological Seminary. He served as Co-chair of the Virginia Commission on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, appointed by Gov. Terry McAuliffe after the Charlottesville incident. Rabbi Moline is an author of two books and contributes to many publications, both print and web-based. He is a popular speaker, featured on radio, television and web broadcasts and in synagogues, churches and organizations. ---------- Subscribe to MPAC's channel: http://bit.ly/MPACYouTube Like MPAC on Facebook: http://fb.com/mpacnational Follow MPAC on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mpac_national Follow MPAC on Instagram: http://instagram.com/mpac_national Visit MPAC's website: http://mpac.org About the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) We improve public understanding and policies that impact American Muslims by engaging our government, media, and communities. Help us to continue this work by making a donation today: http://mpac.org/give.
Read more