A Message from the Executive Director
Sent: November 19, 2008
The historic nature of this year's presidential election is a moment to celebrate. But it is also a reminder of the sense of urgency of this new era and the opportunity it brings - an opportunity to change public policy in both tone and substance, and a hope that there will be renewed commitment to protecting and upholding the Constitution.
The challenges confronting our nation are many. In these uncertain economic times, we are keenly aware that bringing attention to issues of fairness, justice and equity will not be easy. Yet, they are critically important as our nation seeks to move forward.
Our work at Muslim Advocates in the coming weeks and months will focus on advancing our legal, legislative and communication strategies to support our initiatives to end racial and religious profiling and to strengthen the ability of Muslim Americans to fulfill their religious obligations of zakat, or charity, without fear or intimidation.
We know that this work will require not only resources but partners and allies from across the political spectrum. We are heartened by the growing concerns of fellow Americans that our law enforcement institutions have been oriented in the wrong direction, drifting away from the guiding doctrine of presumed innocence and from basic police work of following the facts and legitimate leads. We are also heartened by the growing number of leaders rejecting the manipulation of faith.
Indeed, as we look ahead, a key lesson from this election cycle was that fear and religious manipulation is an ugly tactic that undermines the core ideals of the great promise of our country. We cannot forget the critical role that advocates in all sectors play in not only crafting ideas and solutions but building public will and working to correct misinformation that fuels bad policy and misguided legislation.
We too are hopeful that change is possible and look forward to your support as we continue our work by advancing smart strategies that leverage resources and knowledge for the betterment of our nation.
Muslim Advocates Executive Director Receives Unity Award
Farhana Khera was recognized for her leadership in Muslim Advocates by the San Francisco Minority Bar Coalition (MBC) on October 10, 2008. Nominated by the Bay Area Association of Muslim Lawyers, Khera received the Unity Award at the MBC annual reception where she was recognized for her work in advancing social justice and providing leadership to the community. The San Francisco MBC is a diverse coalition of more than 20 Bay Area mainstream, specialty, ethnic and minority bar associations that work together on issues affecting minority communities.
Increasing Our Capacity with New Staff
The capacity to do more requires not only vision but skilled and dedicated staff. This fall Muslim Advocates welcomed Munleen Soni.
Munleen Soni is an administrative assistant at Muslim Advocates, providing critical administrative support to the professional staff, managing IT/office needs, and assisting with fundraising and development. Previously, she worked at Tikkun magazine and the Network of Spiritual Progressives, led by Rabbi Michael Lerner, as the office manager and assistant to the director of operations. There she was the first intern to ever be hired into a staff position and spearheaded Tikkun's transition from its existing donor and membership data system to a new, more efficient system. Prior to Tikkun, Ms. Soni worked at St. Anthony's Medical Foundation in San Francisco, which specializes in providing care for the homeless.
Ms. Soni is a recent graduate of St. Mary's College of California in Moraga, CA where she earned her B.A. with honors majoring in English with a special focus on post-colonial literature. While at St. Mary's, Ms. Soni wrote for the college's newspaper The Collegian as a political opinion writer. She also worked as a teaching and laboratory assistant helping first and second year chemistry students. She is currently studying Arabic at Pacific Arabic Resources.
Seeking Justice in the Courts: Ashcroft v. Iqbal
On October 31st Muslim Advocates joined in the filing of an amicus or "friend of the court" brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Ashcroft v. Iqbal. Muslim Advocates joined in filing the brief with the Japanese American Citizens League, Pakistani American Public Affairs Committee, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium.
The case, which has moved through the federal courts and now is before the Supreme Court, was brought by Javaid Iqbal, a Pakistani citizen who was detained as a "person of interest" and subjected to mistreatment in the days following 9/11 simply because of his ethnicity, national origin and religion. He was never accused or charged with any terrorist related activity.
The case of Ashcroft v. Iqbal seeks to hold accountable key government officials who sanctioned profiling, detention and interrogation practices that were a knowing violation of his constitutional rights. A favorable ruling for Iqbal would be a significant rebuke of the federal government's over-reaching response to 9/11 and a critical effort to hold accountable officials who unfairly targeted Muslim and Arab men based on their ethnicity, national origin or religion, not on evidence of terrorism.
To learn more about this case or to request a copy of the amicus brief, please contact Shahid Buttar.
New Legislation Proposed to Curb Electronic Searches & Ban Border Profiling
A positive signal that federal lawmakers are ready to challenge the constitutionally questionable practice of electronic searches at the border came with the introduction of the Travelers' Privacy Protection Act of 2008 (TPPA) (S. 3612). Introduced by U.S. Senators Russell Feingold (D-WI), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Daniel Akaka (D-HI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) in the Senate and in the House by Representative Adam Smith (D-WA), the TPPA is a positive step in ending government sanctioned profiling.
As part of our ongoing campaign to end religious and racial profiling, Muslim Advocates continues to educate and encourage lawmakers to take a leadership role in addressing the racial and religious profiling of travelers entering the country. The national visibility and press coverage generated by the Judiciary Committee hearings in June where Muslim Advocates offered testimony helped underscore the need for greater Congressional oversight and regulation.
If enacted, the legislation will directly address the growing practice of searches of laptops, digital cameras, cell phones and other electronic devices of citizens re-entering the country. Specifically, the bill would reform Customs and Border Protection (CBP) practices, restoring privacy protections over electronic devices such as laptops, prohibit racial and religious profiling in searches, and most significantly, mandate the collection and review of data on those being searched, which will assist oversight in determining the degree of profiling of racial and religious minorities.
Muslim Advocates encourages its members and allies to contact their lawmakers and encourage them to support the legislation, which will be re-introduced when the next session of Congress convenes in 2009.
Muslim Charities Accreditation Program Hosts First Seminar in San Jose, CA
On Saturday, October 25th, Muslim Advocates hosted its first Muslim Charities Accreditation Program (MCAP) educational seminar in the San Francisco Bay Area. The interest from the community exceeded expectations, drawing nearly 40 organizations including mosques, educational organizations, domestic violence and social service groups, and international relief organizations representing a cross-section of the Bay Area Muslim community, including Sunnis, Shias, Somalis, Arab, Muslim, South Asian and African American groups.
The seminar was hosted by the law office of McManis Faulkner in San Jose and received the generous support of Amana Mutual Funds and the Bay Area Association of Muslim Lawyers.
The packed house of over 60 attendees learned about a range of issues affecting their institutions, including nonprofit governance, financial best practices for mosques and 501©(3) nonprofits, employment and immigration law, and a panel focused on international charitable transactions and operations. Attendees benefited from top experts, including the President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, a representative from the IRS, three CPAs, an employment litigation partner, a principal at one of the top nonprofit law firms in the U.S., and several nonprofit consultants.
The response from the Muslim community leaders was overwhelming with many attendees stating that the seminar fulfilled a significant unmet need for expert legal and financial guidance. They urged Muslim Advocates to hold a follow-up seminar soon. With a focus on encouraging best practices in the field of Muslim nonprofits, Muslim Advocates provided each attendee with workbooks, presentations and additional resources.
Earlier this year Muslim Advocates launched the Muslim Charities Accreditation Program (MCAP), a specialized program designed to help strengthen the Muslim American nonprofit community and protect the right of Muslim Americans to fulfill their religious obligations of zakat, or charity. The program includes free assistance by Muslim Advocates' full-time staff attorney, free evaluation and accreditation by the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, a Muslim nonprofit best practices guidebook and online resource portal for nonprofits and donors.
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