Muslim Leaders to Be
Honored at MPAC Convention on Dec. 16
Dr
Muzammil Siddiqi |
Los Angeles, CA: The Muslim
Public Affairs Council has announced that it will present
awards to two American Muslim imams who have been publicly
recognized this year for their contributions to American
civic life during the sixth annual MPAC convention on December
16 in Long Beach, Calif. Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi and Imam Abdul
Karim Hasan will be honored during the banquet, at which
Bosnian Grand Mufti Mustafa Ceric and UK independent journalist
Robert Fisk will serve as keynote speakers.
Chairman of the Fiqh Council of North America and past president
of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Siddiqi
was named one of "The West 100" by Los Angeles
Times "West" magazine this year. Last month, the
city of Los Angeles honored Imam Abdul Karim Hasan, president
and co-founder of the Bilal Islamic Center in Los Angeles,
when a public square in the South Los Angeles community
the mosque serves was named after him.
The day-long convention will bring together a prestigious
group of academic leaders, policymakers, religious leaders,
and civil rights advocates to discuss the theme of "Reform,
Renewal and Relevance: Understanding Islam for the Future".
Confirmed speakers include (in alphabetical order):
• Dr. Asma Afsaruddin (Professor, University of Notre
Dame)
• Dr. Nayyer Ali (Co-author, "In Pursuit of Justice:
The Jurisprudence of Human Rights in Islam")
• AJ Durrani (Houston Muslim election activist)
• Amy Goodman (Author, "The Exception to the
Rulers" and Host of Pacifica Radio's "Democracy
Now!")
• Dr. Hassan Hathout (Author, "Reading the Muslim
Mind")
• Nagwa Ibrahim (Co-founder of Elev8 youth arts &
leadership program)
• Dr. Sherman Jackson (Author, "Islam and the
Blackamerican" and Professor, University of Michigan)
• Dr. Muqtedar Khan (Professor, University of Delaware
and Fellow, Brookings Institute)
• Peter Kovach (State Department Diplomat-in-Resident
at UCLA)
• Dr. Hamid Mavani (Professor, Claremont Graduate
University)
• Dr. Asifa Quraishi (Professor, University of Wisconsin
Law School)
• Carmen Walker (Deputy Officer for Equal Employment
Opportunity Programs, Department of Homeland Security Office
for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties)
Adult tickets are available for $35/convention, $45/banquet
or $65/both. Student tickets are available for $20/convention,
$20/banquet or $30/both. Purchase your tickets now online
at www.mpac.org/convention. Discount rates at the Hyatt
Long Beach Hotel are also available for convention attendees
(mention MPAC when booking to qualify for $109/night room
rate).
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