As a grassroots, community-based public policy agency working for the integration of Muslims into American pluralism, MPAC actively strives to assist victims of hate crimes/incidents and to prevent hate crimes by promoting an accurate portrayal of Islam and Muslims in mass media and popular culture, educating the American public (both Muslim and non-Muslim) about Islam and the perspective of American Muslims on a broad range of issues, building alliances with diverse communities and cultivating relationships with opinion- and decision-makers.

In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) was inundated with reports of hate acts. With the generous support of the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations (LACCHR), MPAC created the Hate Crimes Prevention Department in December 2001. MPAC is one of seven partners under the County's Hate Crime Victim Assistance and Advocacy Initiative (HCVAAI). Other partner organizations include:

• Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC)
• Coalition for the Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA)
• South Asian Network (SAN)
• Southern Christian Leadership Conference Youth Empowerment Project (SCLC-YEP)
• Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
• Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center (LAGLC)

Post 9/11 policies, such as the implementation of the USA PATRIOT Act, the freezing of assets of Muslim charities, special registration required of a select group of immigrants have cast suspicion on the Muslim, South Asian, Arab and immigrant communities.

Furthermore, news media falls short of accurate and adequate reporting on mainstream Muslims and their positive contributions to society on a consistent basis. The use of inappropriate terminology such as "Islamic terrorism" has cultivated fear of Islam and its followers.

Therefore, religious stereotypes, discrimination, lack of information about Islam, and the public's negative perception of Muslims have caused hostility against Muslims to escalate in recent years.

COORDINATED BY:

L. A. County Commission on Human Relations
320 West Temple Street
Suite 1184
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Contact: Ray Regalado
(213) 893-0810
(213) 687-4251 (F)
rregalado@hrc.co.la.ca.us

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

Asian Pacific American Legal Center
Hate Crimes Prevention Coordinator
1145 Wilshire Blvd., Second Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Contact: Yun-Sook Kim Navarre
213) 977-7500 ext. 258
(213) 977-7595
yun@apalc.org

Coalition for Humane Immigrant
Rights of Los Angeles
2533 W. Third St., Ste. 101
Los Angeles, CA 90057 
Contact: Patricia Cardona
(213) 353-1333 ext. 222
(213) 353-1344 (F)
(888) 624-4752
pcardona@chirla.org

Southern Christian Leadership Conference
4182 S. Western Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90062
(323) 290-4100
(310) 482-0409
(323) 296-4742 (F)
Zsmith@mlkla.org

Anti-Defamation League
10495 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Contact: Judy Feldman
(310) 446-8000
(310) 470-8712 (F)
jfeldman@adl.org

L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center
McDonald/Wright Building
1625 North Schrader Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Contact: Barbara Estrada
(323) 993-7671
(323) 308-4445 (F)
bestrada@lagaycenter.org

South Asian Network
18173 Pioneer Blvd., Ste. I, 2nd Floor
Artesia, CA. 90701
Contact: Joyti Chand
(562) 403-0488 ext. 104
(800) 281-8111
(562) 403-0487 (F)
joyti@southasiannetwork.org