MPAC-WNY

Tickets: $65 P.P before May 1st
$75 after May 1st 2008.

David Cole is a professor at Georgetown University Law Center, a volunteer staff attorney for the Center for Constitutional Rights, the legal affairs correspondent for The Nation, a regular contributor to the New York Review of Books, and a commentator on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered. He is the author of three award-winning books. His most recent book, Less Safe, Less Free: Why America Is Losing the War on Terror, won the Palmer Civil Liberties Prize in 2007 for best book on national security and civil liberties. Enemy Aliens: Double Standards and Constitutional Freedoms in the War on Terrorism, received the American Book Award in 2004, and No Equal Justice: Race and Class in the American Criminal Justice System, which was named Best Non-Fiction Book of 1999 by the Boston Book Review, and best book on an issue of national policy in 1999 by the American Political Science Association.

He has litigated many significant constitutional cases, including Texas v. Johnson and United States v. Eichman, which extended First Amendment protection to flagburning, National Endowment for the Arts v. Finley, which challenged political content restriction on NEA funding, and Massachusetts v. Sullivan, which challenged restrictions on what federally-funded family planning centers could tell women about abortion. Since 9/11, he has been involved in many of the nation’s most important cases involving civil liberties and national security.

New York Times columnist Anthony Lewis has called David “one of the country’s great legal voices for civil liberties today,” and Nat Hentoff has called him “a one-man Committee of Correspondence in the tradition of patriot Sam Adams.” David has received numerous awards for his human rights work, including from the Society of American Law Teachers, the National Lawyers Guild, the ACLU of Southern California, the ABA Section on Individual Rights and Responsibilities, and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

Day/Date: Saturday, January 26, 2008

Time: 5:30 pm

Place: Islamic Center (Muslim Community Center)

745 Heim Road, Amherst, New York, 14068.

Program:

• Annual Reports: * Financial Report
• Election 2008: * MPaC-WNY Board Election
• New MPAC Initiatives: *Community Concerns

Open to all Muslims of WNY, free of charge Finger food will be provided

The Palestinian Association For The Development Of Internet
Jim Whitlock, UB
The Palestinian Association for the Development of Internet 2 (PADI2) was established by Palestinian academic and research institutions to connect both globally and locally through next generation Internet and unusally high-quality Internet video (IP-video), with benefits to the public in education, healthcare and the arts. It has been assisted by efforts of an interfaith support team in the greater Buffalo, NY, area with a growing Advisory Board, private donors, non-government organizations (NGOs) and local religious and community leaders.

Salam, Shalom, Peace, Greetings:

On behalf of my Executive Board it is, indeed, a great pleasure for me to invite the friends, supporters and well-wishers of MPAC-WNY to join us in the Second Annual “The Tent of Abraham, Hagar and Sarah” to share a meal during this special month of Ramadan. The details are as follows:

Day/Date: Thursday, September 27, 2007

Place: Islamic Center (Muslim Community Center)
745 Heim Road, Amherst, New York, 14068.

In 2007 (as was the case in 2006), the Muslim Holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish month of the High Holy Days and Sukkoth are coinciding. The Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi and the Worldwide Communion Sunday of Protestant and Orthodox Christians also fall during this month. The convergence of these dates will then not recur for another thirty years. Followers of Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition are aware that Prophet Abraham’s (peace be upon him) tent was open on all four sides to welcome travelers from everywhere. In that spirit, we invite into our tent all who share our goals of spiritual concern for peace and justice for all the people.

As in previous year, we will be collecting non-perishable food items on that evening for distribution to the needy in our community at the Food Pantry and Vive LaCasa. MPAC-WNY will also match a dollar for every two dollars collected at the evening. You and your are encouraged to participate in this noble gesture to the extent possible.

Truth over Fear:
Countering ISLAMOPHOBIA
A Workshop for the Community

Saturday, September 8, 2007
2-7 PM (with break for prayers and snacks)
215 Natural Sciences Complex, UB North Campus

GUEST SPEAKERS:

Haris Tarin

Khalid J. Qazi

Activist kits will be given to first 100 participants that will include the following:

• An introduction to “Truth Over fair”;
• A research paper on “Islamophobia: A crisis of Hate in the United States”;
• How to communicate with Congress;
• How to conduct Media Outreach;
• How can we change conversation about Islam and Muslims?
• Exposing the hate behind “OBSESSION: Radical Islam’s war against the West”
• AND MUCH MORE

Any questions, contact: MPAC-WNY, 6343 Transit Rd. Depew, NY 14043/Fax: (716) 683-1843

MPAC-WNY and the Westminster Presbyterian Church present…

Case Library Series - 6th Annual Understanding Islam

February 2007 Programs:

Feb. 4th - “Roots of Misconception: Euro-American Perception of Islam Before and After 9/11.”

Feb. 11th - “The Faith Club: A Muslim, A Christian, and A Jew - Three Women Search for Understanding.”

Feb. 18th - “The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism.”

Feb. 25th - “Human Rights and Tolerance with Islam from a Legal and Political Perspective.” Guest Speaker: Dr. Robert Crane

Dr. Crane was Richard Nixon’s principal foreign policy advisor. On January 20th, 1969 Nixon appointed Dr. Crane to the post of Director for Planning in the U.S. in the National Security Council, however the new Director, Henry Kissinger fired him the next day due to a difference on every single foreign policy issue. Dr. Kissinger subordinated all policy to his paradigm of peace through power, whereas Crane pursued peace through compassionate justice. In 1981, President Reagan appointed Dr. Crane as the U.S. Ambassador to the U.A.E., but this was also short lived. Since then Dr. Crane has worked full-time as a Muslim scholar and activist in America. Dr. Crane is co-founder of the online journal The American Muslim.

(Washington, DC - 12/26/06) — The Muslim Public Affairs Council is very pleased to announce that the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration have taken extraordinary steps to inform their employees that many American Muslims will be traveling internationally to perform Hajj.

Both the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have sent guidance to thousands of employees via memoranda that educate and train agents on cultural and religious sensitivity towards Muslim travelers during this peak travel time.

Generally the documents describe what the Hajj is, behaviors that should be expected from travelers performing the Hajj (e.g., prayer in airports and attire), and describes religious articles or items that these travelers may carry (e.g., Zam Zam water).

MPAC commends the DHS and TSA Offices for Civil Rights and Liberties for respecting the pillar of Hajj and maintaining professionalism towards the customs associated with Hajj. Understanding religious traditions truly falls in line with the best traditions of American pluralism.

MPAC urges travelers to visit the TSA WEBSITE which has posted guidance for travelers.

If you require assistance due to the October Snow Storm, please click on the link below:

IMPORTANT CONTACT INFORMATION

On behalf of MPAC-WNY, EID MUBARAK! May the day be blessed for you and your family.

MPAC-WNY is hosting an Interfaith Iftar (Breaking Fast) tonight @ 745 Heim Rd in Getzville.

During the Iftar there will be a collection for Non-perishable food that will be donated to local food banks.