Pakistan Link
The Largest Circulated Pakistani-American Newspaper in North America
Friday, August 10, 2012
VOL. 22/32- 22 Ramadan 1433 H
PAGE 7
From the Rocky
Mountains to the
Volcano of Hate
PADF Expresses Full
Solidarity with SC
Washington, DC: The Pakistan
American
Democratic
Forum
(PADF), a grassroots organization
founded in 1982 in support of Movement for Restoration of Democracy
(MRD), has expressed its complete
solidarity with the Supreme Court of
Pakistan. The PADF statement reads
in part:
The utterly reprehensible propaganda campaign launched by the
Zardari regime against the Superior
Judiciary is clear indication of three
factors:
1. Pakistan’s most reactionary feudal forces are resisting being
dispatched to the dustbin of history.
Their desperation is evident from
their depraved tactics.
2. The silhouette of an emergent
democratic order based on the rule
of law, accountability and transparency is now visible to the public eye.
3. The pattern of this
PADF, P24
PTI to Foil
‘Anti-Judiciary’
Conspiracies
PAGE 13
PAGE 12
Imran Hits back at
Nawaz with
Eleven Questions
Brigadier Ali Khan and
Four Majors Convicted
by Military Court
Court Summons PM on August 27
Islamabad: The Supreme
Court on Wednesday issued a show-cause notice
for contempt of court to
Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf over his failure
to implement its directive
of writing a letter to Swiss
authorities to reopen graft
cases against President
Asif Ali Zardari, DawnNews reported.
“We hereby issue a
notice to Prime Minister
Raja Pervez Ashraf…to
show cause why he may
not be proceeded against
for committing contempt,” the court said in
its short order.
“We issue notice to
Raja Pervez Ashraf under (the) contempt of
court act 2003, read with
article 204 of the Con-
CONSPIRACIES, P24
Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf
stitution to show cause
as to why he may not be
proceeded (against) in
contempt of court and
(is) not complying
PM, P24
Olympic Track Debut for Saudi Women
Covered in clothing from head to toe, except for her smiling face poking out from her hood, Attar’s debut
came five days after a Saudi judo athlete became the country’s first female competitor at the Olympics
London: Sarah Attar was
more than a half-minute
For news,
updated round
the clock, visit
www.PakistanLink.com
Review Petition Filed
against July 12 Order
Islamabad: The government on
Lahore: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf
(PTI) senior leader Javed Hashmi
on Wednesday claimed that the
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government was waging a battle against
the judiciary and vowed that his
party would foil all ‘anti-judiciary
conspiracies.’
Addressing a gathering at an
Iftar-dinner hosted in his honor,
Hashmi called upon the people of Lahore to stand up for bringing about a
change as all eyes were set on them.
He described the coming era as
one of hope and opportunities.
“The time has come for the ruling plunderers to make an exit,” said
the PTI leader. “Support Imran Khan
if the country is to be saved,” he added.
PTI-AML ALLIANCE: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran
Khan and Awami Muslim League
(AML) president Sheikh Rasheed
Ahmed have decided to form a political alliance for the upcoming general
elections, sources said.
The meeting took place at
US & Canada $1.00
slower than her nearest
competitor in the women’s
800 meters. Yet hundreds
rose to give her a standing
ovation as she crossed
the finish line.
For the first woman
from Saudi Arabia to
compete in track and
field at the Olympics,
the principle was more
important than the performance.
Covered in clothing
from head to toe, except
for her smiling face poking out from her hood,
Attar’s debut came five
days after a Saudi judo
athlete became the country’s first female competitor at any Olympics.
“This is such a huge
honor and an amazing
experience, just to be
representing the women,” Attar said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I know that
this can make a huge difference.”
The 19-year-old
DEBUT, P24
Periodical postage paid at Newport Beach, CA and additional mailing offices
Wednesday filed an appeal in the
Supreme Court urging it to review
its order of July 12 in the NRO implementation case, DawnNews reported.
The appeal against the apex
court’s order was filed by Attorney
General Irfan Qadir through Advocate-on-Record Meher Khan Mulk.
The appeal requests the court to
review its order in which the prime
minister had been directed to submit an implementation report with
respect to writing the letter to Swiss
authorities to reopen graft cases
against President Asif Ali Zardari.
The appeal follows the issuing
of a show-cause notice for contempt
of court to Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf over his failure to implement the court’s directive of writing
the letter to the Swiss authorities.
The PPP’s frontline leaders
PETITION, P24
Imran Prepares Pitch
for Legal Battle
Islamabad: Pakistan Tehrik-i-In-
saaf and Pakistan Muslim League
(Nawaz), the opposition parties engaged these days in a war of words,
are about to enter a legal battle as
Imran Khan announced on Tuesday
that he would sue PML-N leader
Khwaja Asif for leveling ‘false allegations’ against him and his charity
hospital.
“I request the chief justice to
take up this case immediately as
elections are near and the PML-N
wants to run its whole campaign by
targeting the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital,” Mr Khan said at a
press conference at his party’s central
secretariat.
He said the petition would be
filed in a day or two.
“I will request the chief justice
to take up the issue in the national
interest. If allegations of Khwaja Asif
are true then proceed against me,” he
offered. He said that he had already
taken another PML-N legislator
Hanif Abbasi to court for accusing
the directors of his
BATTLE, P24
COMMUNITY
AUGUST 10, 2012 – PAKISTAN LINK – P17
Community Link
Friday, August 10, 2012
VOL. 22/32
PAGE 20
PAGE 20
PAGE
Everyone Has the
Right to Freedom of
Thought and Religion
22 Ramadan 1433 H
PAGE 21
17
PAGE
Milwaukee Shooting:
Solidarity Expressed
with Sikh Community
Pakistani Students
Win International
Debate in Mexico
“The Most Dangerous Place in the World”
On a blazing July afternoon on the campus of the Chautauqua Institute, Akbar Ahmed beams out at his audience — more than 1000 who had gathered in the amphitheater
and spilled out onto the surrounding lawn
n By Aja Anderson
American University
Washington, DC
O
n a blazing July afternoon on the campus of
the Chautauqua Institute,
Akbar Ahmed beamed out at
his audience — more than 1000
gathered in the amphitheater and
spilling out onto the surrounding
lawn — and announced that he
would be keeping his jacket on in
solidarity, despite his wife’s advice.
“I said, I’m not doing so, so that
my beloved audience, sweating
out there in the heat will feel that
some jerk is worse off than us — if
he can tolerate it, so can we!”
The fifth week of the Chautauqua Institute’s (CI) renowned
summer lectures focused on the
people of Pakistan, a country which
is “much maligned, [and] little understood,” according to Ambassador Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of
Islamic Studies at American University. Introduced by the legendary
Rev. Dr. Joan Campbell, Director of
CI’s Department of Religion, who
marched with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Ahmed gave
a one-hour lecture entitled “The
Tribal Areas of Pakistan: The Most
Dangerous Place in the World.” The
frame for the talk was based in a research project Ahmed is currently
concluding, which will be published
by Brookings Institution Press in
early 2013, called The Thistle & the
Drone: How America’s War on Terror became a Global War on Tribal
Islam.
The hardy thistle, an allegory
for the tribal communities in the
study, is pitted against the sleek
and impersonal drone — together
they serve as “an apt metaphor for
the kind of society we are living in
today — the Age of Globalization,”
Ahmed said. The thesis of the book
is the fractured relationship between the tribes who exist on the
periphery and the center — the state
— which at best ignores its periphery and at worst systematically destroys it. In the context of post-9/11
world politics, troublesome peripheral communities are conveniently
lumped together with terrorist
groups, with whom they often have
no connection, and central governments are then free to marginalize,
deracinate, and exterminate entire
ethnic groups under the blessing of
America’s War on Terror.
The title of the lecture itself was
taken from a speech given by President Barack Obama in 2009, when,
Ahmed said, America seemed to
have a “clear cut definition of [the]
problem” abroad. Yet in the last three
years, the favorite tool of American
strategy in the Tribal Areas — the
drone — has plunged the region
into a state of chaos from which it
seems unable to recover. More than
a decade after 9/11, there has been
no solution for America, Pakistan,
or the people of the Tribal Areas.
Ahmed explained that America
and Pakistan are lost in a fog of war
-- they do not trust each other and
undermine each other at every turn.
America is embroiled in a seemingly unending conflict against shadowy adversaries whom it does not
understand, and Pakistan is falling
apart, as the center attacks its own
periphery. The reverberations of
each country’s missteps upset -- and
cost --the lives of the tribal people
who exist on the fringes of society. As America and Pakistan both
target terrorist activity with drone
strikes along the porous border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the
very backyards of these tribal communities, the native population is
geographically guilty by association.
While the Obama Administration
has claimed either that there are no
civilian casualties, or that they are
negligibly low, counterterrorism expert Col. David Kilcullen has said
that drone strikes have only a 2%
success rate -- meaning the majority of casualty statistics are collateral
damage. With more than 30,000
Pakistanis dead since America began its War on Terror, tribal people
lament that “every day is 9/11 for
us.” The people of Pakistan’s periphery have been traumatized, and they
do not understand why.
While the concept of tribalism
may have seemed foreign, antiquated, and irrelevant to some in the
audience, Ahmed clearly linked the
importance of events in the Tribal
Areas to global instability. “What
happens there does not stay there,”
he said. Understanding the history
of Pakistan, the creation of the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas,
the culture of the people who live
there, and the current clash between
central government and peripheral
community was critical to decoding
the situation on the ground. Calling both America and Pakistan out
for an ignorance of history, Ahmed
took the crowd back one thousand
years, to illustrate the proud heritage of the tribes of Afghanistan
and Waziristan. Alexander the
Great paid tribute to the tribes for
the right to cross the Khyber Pass
— when foreigners failed to play
by their rules, the tribes responded
with overwhelming force. Even the
www.PakistanLink.com
British, the greatest colonial empire
of the 19th century, respected the
imperative of working within tribal
structures to achieve their goals —
after their mighty Indus Army was
reduced to one man by the fierce
warriors of the frontier tribes.
Deconstructing the tribal universe, which is built on lineage, honor, egalitarianism, and hospitality,
opens a window into the psyche of
the tribesman. Without knowledge
of the nuances of tribal politics, neither diplomat nor soldier can hope
to work effectively with the people
of the Tribal Areas. Highlighting
the delicate nature of geopolitics in
the region given the influence of
China, India, and Iran, Ahmed explained how the social and political
fabric of Pakistan is shredding as the
three-fold structure which bolstered
society has crumbled: tribal leadership has faltered as elders have been
assassinated; religious authority is
absent as imams are targeted by terrorists; and the center wages war
against the periphery while ignoring
its basic needs. Out of the vacuum of
this harassed and underdeveloped
periphery have emerged groups
like the TTP, who have no compunction in blowing up hospitals,
mosques, and schools. Thus tribal
people suffer the drone which seeks
the terrorist, the suicide bomber
who retaliates against the drone,
and the Pakistani military bullied
into action by foreign powers -- all
of these affronting the honor of the
tribesman, who can see no recourse
but to take up arms against his antagonist. American, Pakistan, and
the tribesman could be formidable
allied against the terrorist -- if each
understood the other’s paradigm.
Counterbalancing the earlier
For news,
updated round
the clock, visit
www.PakistanLink.com
morning lecture by Fareed Zakaria,
whose message played on populist
themes, Ahmed reminded the assembly that Pakistan and America
have a history of respect and cooperation. While Zakaria declared that
Pakistan was inherently anti-West,
Ahmed pointed to the time of Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, when the two countries were allied against the Soviet Union. When
Jackie Kennedy travelled to Pakistan
in 1962, she was received in an open
air car to throngs of excited people,
throwing flowers at her feet. She even
traveled to the Tribal Areas, where
the tribesmen “went crazy for her.”
Zakaria spoke with derision of the
Pakistan nuclear program’s namesake, Babur, the founder of the great
Mughal Dynasty, calling him an idol
breaker, and suggested India should
be allowed to run things in the region. His provocative remarks left
the Pakistanis in the audience very
agitated. Ahmed felt, however, that
Pakistan must be given the chance
to step up to the task of rebuilding
itself, harkening back to the ideals of
its founding — which were the very
democratic ideals which founded
America. Both countries are currently embroiled in a “21st century
version of the Great Game” — the
objective of which is unclear.
Ahmed did not paint a rosy picture of international relations, but
he did offer a simple solution: learn
from history. Afghanistan is known
as the “graveyard of empires,” and the
tribes which inspired that epithet are
cousins of those in Pakistan’s Tribal
Areas. The last ten years for them
have been “sheer hell — total uncertainty, total chaos, total violence.”
If the US packs up and leaves the
region, it will only accelerate total
collapse, from which the Taliban, Al
Qaeda, and TTP will benefit. Thus
the US must win this war — but not
necessarily on a battlefield, according to Ahmed. That will require developing a cultural competency that
includes a thorough knowledge of
history and custom, and the willingness to target diplomacy within the
framework of the tribal universe.
Ultimately, the most effective tool
America and Pakistan could use is
compassion—which both Ahmed
and his “guru”, Karen Armstrong,
also in attendance, champion. These
countries must, as Atticus Finch
would say, “climb into [each other’s]
skin and walk around in it.” Otherwise we all face a chaotic, neurotic,
and potentially apocalyptic, future.
Ahmed’s lecture can be viewed
in its entirety here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvINpIaCmzI
(Aja Anderson is the Program
Coordinator and Chief of Staff for
the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic
Studies in the School of International Relations at American University
in Washington, DC)
COMMUNITY
P20 – PAKISTAN LINK – AUGUST 10, 2012
“Everyone Has the Right to Freedom of Thought, Conscience and Religion”
n By C. Naseer Ahmad
U
S Department of State Annual Report on religious
freedom around the world
was released on July 30, 2012. The
report underscores the importance of a key issue in international affairs. On the same day, 2012,
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
delivered a landmark speech at
the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on the release
of this report. In her introductory
remarks, Jessica Matthews, President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, noted that Secretary Clinton’s “leadership could
not have come at a more critical
time. The US has deep political,
economic and moral interests in
the outcome of the Arab awakening.”
Religious liberty is “rooted in
our Constitution, in our belief about
the importance of the free exercise of
religion. But it’s important to remember that these words were adopted by
the international community, not
just by the United States,” Secretary
Clinton stated in making a forceful and effective case for freedom of
religion around the world. Her re-
Secretary Clinton’s speech on Religious Freedom at the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace drea a large crowd
marks covered key topics: universal
human rights, democracy, social cohesion and security. Secretary Clinton expressed concern that in some
measures there is a trend of sliding
backwards. She discussed religious
freedoms in countries facing political transitions.
“More than a billion people live
under governments that systematically suppress religious freedom.
New technologies have given repressive governments additional tools for
cracking down on religious expression,” Secretary Clinton stated. “How
will Islamist parties govern?” she was
asked. It was an impression one could
take from the questions arising after
the speech. The anxiety appears to be
from the political earthquake known
as the Arab Spring. In answering the
questions, she cautioned the world to
be patient and not prejudge. While a
number of countries were mentioned
none was targeted for vilification.
Having participated in a meet-
Solidarity Expressed with Sikh Community
ing with the Religion and Foreign
Policy Working Group on development assistance issues, I heard personal testimony about how the lives
of Kosovo Muslims were better off
with such assistance. From this meeting at the Catholic Relief Services
World Headquarters in Baltimore,
I came back with an appreciation of
the opportunities that exist for US
citizens of different faiths joining
hands and putting their words into
action to change the lives of fellow
human beings in need.
Secretary Clinton reminded
the audience of the important principle that “everyone has the right to
freedom of thought, conscience and
religion; this right includes freedom
to change his religion or belief, and
freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or
private, to manifest his religion or
belief in teaching, practice, worship
and observance.” As such, there is
no place for governmental organizations to dictate citizens on what faith
to choose or interfere if individual
citizens decide to change their faith.
Commenting on this speech,
Joseph Grieboski, Chairman, Institute on Religion and Public Policy
– a Washington-based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) said,
“Secretary Clinton’s remarks are by
far the strongest, most aggressive, and
most powerful on the importance of
international religious freedom from
any Secretary of State since the passage of the International Religious
Freedom Act in 1998. Secretary
Clinton set a clear and determined
roadmap of where the United States
will be going on the protection and
promotion of this most fundamental
of basic rights. I applaud the Secretary and her remarks, and encourage
her to use the time remaining in her
term to translate these words in solid
and measurable actions.”
Participants in this foreign policy discussion event included representatives from embassies and from
mainstream organizations like the
Islamic Society of North America as
well as other organizations of the different faiths that beautify the mosaic
of American Society, not to mention
participation of the President’s Envoy
to the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC). They were there to listen,
to learn, and to ask questions from
the top diplomat in the US Government.
APPNA Food Drive in St. Louis
upcoming 2012 Democratic Party
Convention in Charlotte, NC.
cil
Council of Pakistan American
Affairs
“On behalf of the American
Pakistani community, COPAA
(Council of Pakistan American Affairs) expresses its solidarity with the
Sikh community on the tragic shooting in Wisconsin, “ says a COPAA
announcement. It adds:
“Although a difficult and emotional time for the victims, the families, and our nation, we must continue to strive even harder to build
bridge of peace and understanding.
This senseless act of one misguided
individual must not deter us from
the path of nation-building, forging partnerships with our nation’s
rich and diverse communities, for a
stronger United States of America.
This, indeed, is a time for reflection,
a time to say a prayer for the victims
and time to stand together with all
faith and non-faith based communities, and to let our Sikh brothers and
sisters know that we stand with them
at this critical hour.
“God bless the United States of
America!”
American Muslim Alliance
Washington, DC: The American Muslim Alliance (AMA), a civic
education organization, has “most
vigorously condemned” the “terror”
attack on the Sikh temple.
In addition to the initial statement of condemnation, AMA called
an emergency meeting on August
6, and organized a US-wide conference call of Sikh-American, MuslimAmerican and Christian-American
activists on August 7.
After analyzing the “oppressive
coalition” of US state (as exemplified by the passage of National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)
which dispenses with due process
and habeas corpus) and the increasingly intolerant American Civil Society which has resulted in murder of
more than 600 Sikh-Americans and
even a higher number of MuslimAmericans, the conference call participants decided to jointly carry out
a number of activities, which include
1) compiling a joint investigative report about the exact number of SikhAmericans and Muslim-Americans
killed in United States since 9/11,
2) sending a joint letter to President
Obama and Mr. Eric Holder, 3) compiling a 21st century US Civil Rights
Charter, and 4) holding a joint Civil
Rights Forum at the AMA Hospitality Suite @ Blake Hotel during the
Musllim Public Affairs Coun-
Los Angeles, CA: The Muslim Public Affairs Council offers its
condolences to the Sikh community
on this sad day when at least seven
people, including the gunman, were
killed following a shooting at an Oak
Creek, WI, Sikh temple (Gurdwara).
“Our thoughts and prayers are
with the family and loved ones of the
victims,” said MPAC President Salam
Al-Marayati. “This is a horrific crime,
and we hope the police and FBI will
be able to bring this case to a close.”
MPAC has reached out to its
partners at the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund
(SALDEF) and The Sikh Coalition in
Washington, DC, and New York to
offer our sympathies and assistance.
We stand united with our brothers
and sister of faith...
The Gurdwara in Oak Creek
was founded in 1997 and was home
to more than 400 worshipers that
worked and lived in the greater Milwaukee area. The Sikh Coalition said
the Gurdwara had come to represent
the valued contributions of the Sikh
faith in a community where Sikhism was understood to be another
contributing fabric in the fabric of
American plurality.
The Sikh community has set up
a task force to work with law enforcement agencies to ensure that the Sikh
community is reassured of its safety.
If you feel threatened or want
more information, please call the Sikh
national helpline at 855-US-UMEED,
says an MPAC press release.
D
uring June-July 2012, APPNA St. Louis organized a
food drive. The program was
headed by Dr Ayesha Iqbal under the
APPNA STL 2012 Executive Committee. Its aim was to deliver staple
food items to the needy and poor
families in the St Louis area, invoke a
sense of community and giving-back
through monetary donations or volunteerism, and strengthen collaboration between APPNA STL and local
organizations for current and future
United Muslims of America
“United Muslims of America communitywide projects.
(UMA), a public affairs organization,
extends deepest condolences to families of slain victims and condemns
the brutal attack on innocent people
inside the Sikh Temple in Oak
SOLIDARITY, P21
www.PakistanLink.com
APPNA STL, says a message, is
proud to announce that we delivered
what we aimed for. More than six hundred food items were delivered to support 71 families in the area.
We firmly believe that behind
every successful venture is a “TEAM”
– from our members and other members of the community who funded
the project, to the women of SAATH
STL who took out time from their busy
lives and led the organization and logistics of the drive, to kids and teens
who brought forth the great spirit of
community work through their help
with the assembly, loading, unloading and delivery of the boxes, to the
social workers at the Islamic Foundation of Greater St Louis (IFGSTL) who
ensured smooth distribution to the deserving families.
The success and impact of this
drive is succinctly summed up by Dr.
Syed Danish Hassan: “Great work! Poor
community badly needs this throughout the year. Great initiative!”
COMMUNITY
AUGUST 10, 2012 – PAKISTAN LINK – P21
Pakistani Students Win International Debate in Mexico
n By Fareeha Khalid
Karachi: Three 15-year-old
Pakistani students have won the
final of The Karl Popper Debating
Championship (KPDC), one of the
most prestigious high school tournaments in the world, in Mexico.
The Pakistani team beat the
team of students from South Korea.
All three participants were listed in
the top 10 speakers of the tourna-
ment.
Zainab Hameed, a Karachi
Grammar School student, was
named the top speaker of the competition while Azeem Liaquat, student of the Salamat International
Campus for Advanced Studies in
Lahore, was placed second. Their
teammate, Ahmed Shujaan from the
Aitchison College Lahore, bagged
the fifth position among more than
200 participants.
Teams from 45 countries participated in the tournament, which
was part of the 18th International
Debate Education Association
(IDEA) Youth Forum held in Mexico from July 2 to 15.
The Pakistani team defended
the topic “Guantanamo Bay prison
should be closed down immediately” in the KPDC finals while the Korean team argued to prove that the
motion should not be adopted.
The teams participated in two
competitions – the KPDC and the
mixed team track. In the former,
they represented Pakistan as a team
while they were split up and paired
with debaters from other countries
in the mixed team track.
Muslims Gain Seats at Dems ‘Big Tent’ Convention
n By Nadia Hussain
T
he Democratic National
Convention will take place
September 3-6 as the country gets ready to elect its next president. Held every four years since
1832, the convention’s primary
goal is to nominate a candidate
for president and vice president,
adopt a party platform, and unify
the party.
Among the 4000 delegates expected to go to the convention in
Charlotte, NC, Muslim Americans
overcame significant barriers to earn
their seats at the table.
Muslims make up one of the
most complex and diverse groups
in the United States. According to
the State Department, 34 percent of
Muslim Americans are South Asians,
26 percent are Arabs, 25 percent are
Africans, and 15 percent are from
other backgrounds.
Due to these diverse identities, it has been difficult to gauge the
number of Muslim Americans currently living in the US. The Council
on Foreign Relations estimated that
Muslims make up approximately 2
percent of the population, or 7 million people. The Pew Research Center reported that 81 percent of Muslims in the US are citizens.
Despite these numbers, historically, Muslim Americans have not
been very active in getting elected
to office. The first Muslim member
of Congress, Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison, was elected only 6
years ago. Yet, national efforts, led by
organizers such as Dr. Agha Saeed,
have pushed Muslims to be more politically and civically engaged.
Almost 20 years ago, Saeed began a movement called the American
Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights &
Elections (AMT). AMT is now the
largest coalition of Muslim organizations in the country.
Since AMT’s founding, Saeed
has focused his efforts on expanding
Muslim civic education and building
consensus on civil rights issues. By
2000, AMT had spearheaded efforts
to get over 700 Muslim Americans
into elected positions around the
country. The group’s efforts also included voter registration efforts and
meeting with elected officials and national media.
However, these political inroads
suffered a devastating blow on September 11, 2001.
“We had more political clout
before 9/11,” said Hazem Kira, a
spokesperson for the California Civil
Rights Alliance and a colleague of
Saeed’s. “We had a large delegation
in the White House and much stronger relationship with policy makers
before. It has wavered, but it’s coming back. What has come up since
September 11 is unification of communities around civil liberty issues.
The primary issue of focus has been
to rebuild since 9/11.”
The passing of the Patriot Act in
2001, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and years of negative news coverage have dealt serious blows to the
civil rights and perception of Muslims throughout the country.
“Right now, we are living in
an environment of Islamaphobia
that demonizes and marginalizes
Muslims,” said Hussam Ayloush, a
convention delegate and Executive
Director of the Los Angeles chapter
of the Council for American Islamic
Relations (CAIR). “And this isn’t just
happening on the Republican side,
these views can sometimes be seen
on the Democratic side as well.”
One such incident in 2010 involved congressional candidate Ami
Bera, who returned a $250 personal
check from the executive director of
CAIR due to pressure from his Republican opponent.
Despite these challenges, AMT’s
electoral arm, the American Muslim
Alliance (AMA), organized Muslim
Americans around the country to
run as delegates for the 2012 convention as a step to increasing the visibility and involvement of Muslims
citizens in the political process. This
was accomplished through conference calls and emails, where potential delegates were given trainings
on the candidacy process, including
how to give speeches, canvass for
votes, compile election materials and
organize supporters. The conference
calls also provided a networking opportunity for Muslims running to
become delegates, and pushed them
to encourage Muslims in other states
to run.
AMA’s goal was to have 100
www.PakistanLink.com
delegates nationwide, which would
match the proportion of the US population that is Muslim, according to
Saeed. In the end, 35-41 confirmed
Muslim delegates were elected. However, Saeed’s office believes there
may be another 50 Muslim delegates
based on their listed first and last
names on the convention roster.
By sending a Muslim delegation,
AMA hopes to organize a civil rights
agenda to put forth to the national
Democratic platform.
One such initiative addresses
the controversial National Defense
and Authorization Act, a law that
many allege could allow indefinite
military detentions and infringe
upon civil liberties. Both are issues
that have affected the Muslim community specifically since 9/11.
The delegates themselves understand how momentous their trip
to Charlotte will be.
“As a Muslim, our faith tells us
to stand for justice for others and
those without a voice,” said Basim
Elkarra, a delegate and California
Democratic Party executive board
member. “Becoming more politically
involved would hopefully shift the
negative views of Muslims as marginalized outsiders.”
SOLIDARITY FROM P20
Creek, Wisconsin on August 5,
2012,” says a message.
“The shooting occurred Sunday
morning that has left, according to
news reports, 6 people and the gunman dead, and at least 3 others in
critical condition, and many others
injured. It is a shame that religious
minorities are increasingly becoming targets of hate crimes in America
since September 11, 2001. This kind
of unwarranted killing stands against
everything America stands for.
“We pray for the innocent people who died or got injured in the
senseless shooting. UMA urges the
community to stand together in solidarity with the Sikh community and
take action to curb the hatred and
bring tolerance, fairness, and justice
in society.”
South Asian Network
Mr Manjusha P. Kulkarni, Executive Director, South Asian Network
(SAN), has expressed great sadness
on the tragic events which took place
in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. In a message he said, “As many of you know, a
shooting occurred at the Sikh Temple
of Wisconsin and took the lives of
six innocent members of the South
Asian community, leaving several
others injured. Details are emerging
about the killer and the circumstanc
-es surrounding the incident.
“SAN is outraged by this horrific act of violence against the community. But, it is not simply an attack
on Sikh Americans, but an attack on
all Americans who believe in tolerance and the free exercise of religion.
The incident is yet another reminder
that after 9/11, we must remain vigilant about protecting our rights and
the rights of others...”
Muslim Advocates
San Francisco, CA: “Muslim Advocates stands in solidarity with the
Sikh community and expresses its
deepest sympathies for the victims,
their families and the greater community that is suffering because of
the senseless attack on innocent Sikh
worshipers at the Oak Creek, WI gurdwara,” says a message received by
Pakistan Link.
“This is a sad day for all Americans,” said Farhana Khera, executive
director of Muslim Advocates. “All
Americans have the right to practice
their faith freely, and today our hearts
are with our fellow Sikhs. While law
enforcement has yet to officially determine the gunman’s motives, it is clear
that he espoused values of hate and
bigotry. Public officials need to step
up and condemn hateful rhetoric, and
employ policies that prevent this type
of violence against innocent Americans from ever happening again.”
For Talat Khan, a US Navy veteran and family physician, becoming
a delegate carries a personal responsibility.
“I work to be a role model for
children and young people,” Khan
said. “Muslim children, my children,
all children need to be part of the
system. We live in this country. We
need to have our influence in there.
This is our movement, not only to
inspire others, but to teach people
how to make change happen.”
(S. Nadia Hussain is a Bangladeshi-American activist, poet, blogger and photographer with a passion
for human rights work and progressive politics. She is also involved in
Democratic politics and will serve as
a delegate from CA’s 13th Congressional District to the Democratic
National Convention in Charlotte,
NC this Fall)