American Muslims Get… Happy! Videos On May 2, 2014 By MPAC Music - Pharrell - Happy Directed by David Hawa Like us on Facebook http://on.fb.me/1krQyN3 Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @mpac_national Media Coverage: The Washington Post http://wapo.st/1ifhMKX Al Arabiya http://bit.ly/PYuAsu For media inquiries please contact Hoda Elshishtawy at hoda@mpac.org Read more
MPAC Announces ‘Safe Spaces Initiative’ – followed by Q&A with reporters Videos boston bombing anniversary boston bombings bostonstrong Counter-terrorism (TV Subject) extremism haris tarin hoda elshishtawy Imam Mohamed Magid mpac mpac safe spaces Muslim Public Affairs Council (Organization) national press club radicalization safe spaces safe spaces initiative suhaib webb On April 16, 2014 By MPAC MPAC held a press conference alongside notable Muslim community leaders at the National Press Club to announce a new campaign to actively prevent violent extremism. Called the Safe Spaces Initiative, the campaign is the first major national grassroots effort to equip American Muslim community and campus leaders with practical tools for developing healthy communities as well as intervention strategies for troubled individuals. You can download the paper from the Safe Spaces website (mpac.org/safespaces). Read more
MPAC Honors Russell Simmons – Voice of America Videos mpac Muslim Public Affairs Council (Organization) Russell Simmons (Author) Voice Of America (Radio Station) On April 11, 2014 By MPAC Read more
Convention Banquet: “25 Years on the Road Less Traveled” Videos aknu all saints church california muslim judge convention dr. maher hathout hathout hoda elshishtawy judge halim dhanidina maher hathout mpac mpac banquet omar offendum poetry rev. ed bacon the x factor On December 23, 2013 By MPAC Featuring highlights from MPAC's 25 years of service, the banquet showcased a poignant video sharing MPAC's early days with a modest $30,000 budget to today's major inroads in politics, media, law enforcement and interfaith work. A Community Leadership Award was presented to Judge Halim Dhanidina, the first Muslim judge appointed in California. The climax of the evening took place when three speakers stepped forward to honor the man who played a central with the establishment, growth & success of MPAC. This included poet and hip-hop artist Omar Offendum, who also performed one of Dr. Hathout's poems for the audience; Hoda Elshishtawy, MPAC's National Policy Analyst; and the Rev. Ed Bacon of All Saints Church, Pasadena. To continue the celebratory tone of the evening, the audience enjoyed the music and dance of AKNU. A trio of Muslim brothers from Los Angeles, AKNU is a high-spirited group that performed in the 2013 season of "The X Factor." Read more
Fast FWD: The Innovators Shaping Our Future – MPAC 2013 Convention Videos american muslims amir sulaiman convention fast fwd khadija abdullah mpac muslim entrepreneurs nadeem mazen nadia roumani samia al-moslimany saudi arabia ted talks women driving young muslims On December 19, 2013 By MPAC Part of MPAC's Convention, "Celebrating 25 Years on the Road Less Traveled," the "Fast FWD" session brought together some of the most promising social innovators, from Nadeem Mazen who successfully ran for public office to Khadija Abdullah who has made it a lifelong quest to educate Muslims about HIV and AIDS to Nadia Roumani who is working to reinvent Muslim philanthropy to Samia Al-Moslimany who is part of the campaign for women's rights in Saudi Arabia to Def Jam Poet Amir Sulaiman who talked about love as a driving force in art and self-expression. We highlighted American Muslims who are taking the road less traveled, sparking discussion and finding innovative solutions for our community and the nation at large. Read more
Session 3 – “Does Political Islam Have a Future?” Videos american foreign policy foreign policy islamic political movements mideast politics mpac political islam politics On December 19, 2013 By MPAC Part of MPAC's Convention, "Celebrating 25 Years on the Road Less Traveled," this session reviews global events shaping Muslim societies around the world, with a closer examination of how women and minorities are fairing. Renowned Georgetown University Professor Dr. John Esposito warned that authoritarianism will rise as a result of these movements failing in different countries. The other panelists, Dr. Hamid Mavani and Haroon Moghul, spoke on movements from the Middle East to Iran, and they highlighted the challenges facing those governments and Islamic movements. The panel was moderated by Dr. Laila Al-Marayati, chairwoman of KinderUSA and the former presidential appointee to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Read more
Let’s Be Honest: The Arts, Identity & Activism – MPAC 2013 Convention Videos 25 year anniversary ahmed younis arts convention creativity islam mpac muslims omar offendum performance shaikh yassir fazaga The Reminders On December 19, 2013 By MPAC "Art is a message from the soul, wrapped in an envelope of beauty." ~ Dr. Hathout. Part of MPAC's Convention, "Celebrating 25 Years on the Road Less Traveled," the first session of the day began with some performances. Art conveys an understanding about Islam and Muslims in ways that academic papers and lectures never will. Using the arts to express a message is not a revolutionary idea; Muslims, throughout the centuries, have contributed significantly to various forms such as architecture, literature and music. Three performers, Omar Offendum, Aja Black and Big Samir of the hip-hop duo The ReMINDers, spoke about their journey in the arts, and how they have been able to influence others' perceptions about Islam and spirituality through their music. Moderated by Ahmed Younis, the session featured performances and a fascinating conversation where they were joined by Shaikh Yassir Fazaga of the Orange County Islamic Foundation. Read more
