MDLM Hosts Reception for
State Democratic Party Leadership in Massachusetts
By Kashif Ahmed
L to R : Mike Festa, James McGovern, Deborah Goldberg
and Deval Patrick |
Lowell,
Massachusetts: Recently, the historic town of Lowell, Massachusetts,
played host to the Massachusetts Democratic Party, which held
its State Democratic Convention on May 13 and 14. Former Governor
and Presidential candidate, Dr. Howard Dean was the keynote
speaker in his capacity as the Chairman of the Democratic
National Committee.
The convention was an ‘issues convention’, serving
to establish the new party platform for the Massachusetts
Democratic Party. The platform contains language in opposition
to the USA Patriot Act. Under the heading of “Civil
Rights and Civil Liberties”, it reads: “While
acknowledging the need for increased security in the post-9/11
world, Massachusetts Democrats oppose the unconstitutional
excesses of the United States Patriot Act and any other act
that infringes on our constitutional rights.”
On the sidelines of the main convention, on a beautiful New
England spring evening, the Muslim Democratic Leadership of
Massachusetts (MDLM) hosted an elegant dinner party and reception
for the Muslim community leadership of the state, and leading
Democratic party elected leaders and candidates.
The MDLM is a coalition of Muslims serving in the state Democratic
party. The members of this coalition are Parwez Wahid (main
organizer of the dinner reception), Mushtaque Mirza, Hanif
Butt, Habib Rahman, Shahid Khan and Farooq Mirza. Wahid and
Mushtaque Mirza.
The Democratic Party leaders who attended the dinner were:
Deval Patrick – candidate for Governor; Congressman
James McGovern – Massachusetts 3rd District; State Representative
Kay Khan; State Representative Deborah Blumer; State Representative
Mike Festa – candidate for District Attorney; and Deborah
Goldberg, candidate for Lt. Governor.
Patrick warmly embraced the community members, greeting them
all in Arabic. He went on to explain how he would strive to
include all and not sideline any ethnic community. He cheerfully
answered questions from the attendees. Congressman Jim McGovern
(Mass. District 3), having just retuned from a trip to Iraq
and the Middle East, made a passionate speech throwing his
weight behind Patrick and thus endorsing his candidacy for
Governor.
Kay Khan and Debby Blumer also addressed the community gathering
and promised to work hard for all Americans in the state.
They stressed the importance of supporting the Democrats in
the 2006 elections and described what the Party stands for.
Mike Festa, a candidate for Middlesex County District Attorney
and Deborah Goldberg, a candidate for Lt. Governor addressed
the audience later in the evening. Each described their qualification
for the office they were seeking. Festa described his experience
as an attorney and a lawmaker, that gave him a unique set
of skills for the office of District Attorney. Goldberg talked
about the importance of the Lt. Governor’s office to
reach out to the towns and communities across the state. From
her own experience of chairing her Town Committee, she felt
that the current Lt. Governor had not made the best effort
in such an outreach effort and it had affected the ability
of the local government to provide for their communities.
She hoped to correct this situation if elected.
Following the speeches, the Democratic officials and candidates
joined the distinguished community members in a scrumptious
Pakistani buffet meal of tandoori chicken, biryani, naans,
samosas and kheer. Community members in attendance included
Imam Talal Eid of the Islamic Council of New England, Dris
Djermoun, President of the Islamic Center of Boston, Kemal
Bozkurt and Kashif Ahmed.
The warm and congenial atmosphere of the gathering allowed
the Muslim community leadership to learn more about the Democratic
party and some of the positions of the leading state candidates.
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