CAIR (Sacramento Valley)
Annual Fundraising Banquet
By Ras H. Siddiqui
Hon
Betty Yee receives Distinguished Service Award |
Under the theme of “Restoring
the American Dream: Civil Rights and Community Empowerment”,
the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) of the Sacramento
Valley (SV) held its Third Annual Banquet on Saturday, November
12, 2005 at the Hilton Sacramento Arden West, to show its
support groups its accomplishments and to recognize its friends
in California’s Capital region who have helped CAIR
in its work during the past year.
|
Dorothy
Ehrlich |
Joe
Pitts |
Imam
Rodwan Saleh |
Stephen
T. Maganini |
Soroush
Rahimian |
Muhammad
Tariq |
After the Qur’anic
recitation and dinner, CAIR (SV) President Dr. Hamza El-Nakhal
welcomed everyone. Dr. Pervez Ahmed, the current Chairman
of the Board CAIR National, was the first to make a short
presentation during which he outlined the important work that
CAIR has been doing and its relevance to our lives in this
country. Dr. Ahmed is a researcher and teacher of Finance
at the University of Florida and also a prolific writer whose
Op-Ed pieces dispelling stereotypes about Islam and Muslims
have been published in major newspapers in America.
|
Dr.
Pervez Ahmed |
Dean
Johansson |
Betty
Yee |
Dorothy Ehrlich, Executive
Director at the Northern California American Civil Liberties
Union, in her keynote speech on “Civil Rights and Community
Empowerment” touched on a number of issues that the
Muslim community and other minorities remain concerned about.
Dorothy also took the opportunity to recognize Rosa Parks
whose recent death left millions saddened but has reminded
us of where civil rights in America would be today if she
had not shown her peaceful defiance.
CAIR (SV) Executive Director Basim Elkarra next took the opportunity
to introduce locally active community members and praised
the Sacramento area for its support. “This is a community
that cares,” said Basim. “Care spelled CAIR.”
A video presentation of local CAIR accomplishments was presented
and well received by all. From helping the Lodi Muslim community
through a terror probe, engaging in Interfaith activity and
assisting earthquake victims in South Asia, CAIR (SV) has
had a great deal to show the community recently. “Faith
in Action” being the CAIR motto here, the organization
prefers to work in the American political mainstream as an
active partner and not as a peripheral antagonist.
Local CAIR leader Rashid Ahmad elaborated further on the rights
issue by presenting a quote from Napoleon Bonaparte on winning
battles. “First we go there… Then we see what
happens,” said Napoleon. He equated the quote to the
quest for civil rights and stressed the need for adequate
preparation (funds) to be properly equipped in what is sometimes
a battle.
Current CAIR California
Chairman Fouad Khatib next discussed the importance of the
CAIR Sacramento Chapter and its task of building the leadership
of tomorrow in this very important state capital. “This
can only be done in Sacramento (second only to Washington
on the national level),” he said.
Before the formal task of raising money got underway, two
young ladies from the local MSA announced another fundraiser
for South Asian earthquake victims to be held on November
23rd.
Fundraisers like this banquet gathering need special speakers
and inspirers to lead them. Rodwan M. Saleh, President of
the Board of Directors of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston
(ISGH), was a great choice for this role. Rodwan spoke of
the greatness of America and the pursuit of the American Dream
that many worldwide wished that they had an opportunity to
attain. Bringing up the example of the late Rosa Parks, Rodwan
asked where we would all be today if she had been silent and
had given up her seat. He also brought up Dr. King’s
words on injustice anywhere being injustice everywhere and
added that freedom is not cheap and that our civil liberties
are not guaranteed. With over $84,000 raised, it appears that
people understood the importance of CAIR locally and listened.
The second keynote speaker was Joe Wise Pitts III, a lecturer
at Stanford Law School and outgoing Chair Emeritus of Amnesty
International USA. He is also President of the Bill of Rights
Defense Committee, the national organization that helped spur
almost 400 resolutions against the excesses of the Patriot
Act and for the protection of civil rights.
|
A
section of the Audience |
Joe was certainly amongst
many friends on this day as he started with “Salaamlaikum”
and a quote for the era we live in by John McCain “It
is always darkest before it becomes completely black.”
Joe went on to mention that these are very hard times and
that that the Patriot Act was now being expanded worldwide
with other countries coming up with their own versions. He
brought up the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its
importance today because windows of peaceful opposition are
now being threatened. He proposed an ACT (Awareness, Communicate,
Take Action) as the immediate to do for all Americans who
are worried about the erosion of their rights. “Speak
up. Take action for justice,” he said.
The annual CAIR (SV) Banquet is never complete without its
awards presentation. This year the Distinguished Service Award
went to The California Asian Pacific Islander Legislative
Caucus which the Hon. Betty T. Yee, Acting Member, Board of
Equalization received. The Asian and Pacific Islander Groups
have lent tremendous support to our community here and this
award was a small token of appreciation for them.
The Outstanding Community Service award went to the Rahimian
Family. There to receive this award was young Soroush who
represented the Rahimians; Javad and Shirin, Majid and Maryam
and patriarch Dr. Ali. Whether it is the recent earthquake
in South Asia or centers at local Sacramento State University
or the UC Davis Foundation, the Rahimians have shared their
success with the entire Sacramento community. And in the process
they sure have made the Iranian-American and the local Muslim
community proud.
And that brings us to the Fairness and Integrity in Media
Award which went to Stephen T. Maganini, senior writer at
the Sacramento Bee. Ever since 9/11 and recently during the
Lodi terror probe, Steve (Stephen) has written numerous articles
which have tried to balance the role of the local Muslim community
in a positive way against the hype that the media in this
country has been forced to generate ever since the murderous
acts of September 2001. The fact that his last name is as
difficult to pronounce as some of our own is not the only
common ground we have. Seriously speaking, Steve has developed
quite a fan club amongst the local Muslim community readership.
And although we cannot always be of help to him in his article
writing, his calls are always welcome. Steve (along with Fahizah
Aleem) has created an open “Bee” communications
channel not only with our local leaders such as Dr. Amer,
Dr. Irfan Haq, Basim and Rashid Ahmad but between numerous
Bee reporters and the rest of our community. It was great
to see him recognized for his efforts in an era when American
Muslims are not asking for favors but just fairness.
Civil Rights Attorney Dean Johansson received the Courage
and Inspiration award this year. Dean has been instrumental
in documenting many civil rights abuses, especially in the
wake of the recent FBI investigation in Lodi. He is outspoken
and some would say quite fearless in protecting the freedoms
that he believes are being lost.
Last but not least the
outstanding Youth Service Award went to Muhammad Tariq, a
student at the local Grant High School (who just beat our
local school in the football playoffs). Muhammad is a long-standing
member of Masjid Ibrahim and has been a positive role model
for many area Muslim and non-Muslim youth.
To conclude this report, two observations might be important.
First, CAIR (SV) has done a wonderful job along with local
mosques and Islamic centers in opening up our community to
outside “non-Muslim” scrutiny, which has been
beneficial for both. And the second observation that can be
made is that in an era when (who would have thought) Amnesty
International is talking about human rights inside the United
States instead of in the rest of the world, events like this
one highlight the importance of both funds and friends to
face the fallout from terrorism, and a war that we Muslim
Americans had no role in starting.
Media Award for Stephen Maganini. |
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