The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) has announced that Rashad Hussain, US Envoy to the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), will be appearing at its 10th Annual Convention to be held on Saturday in downtown Los Angeles. According to the MPAC website the convention is titled “The Struggle for America’s Conscience” and is described as follows:
We are living in a defining moment – both for our community and our country. Voices are shouting on all sides, and it’s up to us to stand up for the truth and yet the truth is being lost in the shuffle. How do you feel when you wake up to the latest politician, pundit no-name loud mouth making wildly offensive statements about Islam and Muslims? Angry? Depressed? Frustrated? Energized? Disgusted? Fed up? All of the above? Islamophobia, U.S.-Muslim World relations, terrorism, violent extremism, civil rights, homeland security, bigotry, civic engagement, war, reform. The Muslim leader has to be ready to effectively address all of these issues. Join us for a one-of-a-kind gathering of some of the best minds and powerful voices for two thought-provoking conversations about “The State of Our Union: Race, Religion & American Identity” and “The State of Our Umma: Facing Our Challenges.” Certain moments define a generation. We are living through another one of those moments right now when it comes to our nation’s commitment to religious freedom and equality. And you’re the one that can make history. Join us for our 10th annual convention when we’ll examine “The Struggle for America’s Conscience” with a who’s who of thinkers and activists, including:
Pastor Bob Roberts
Dr. Maher Hathout
Angela Oh
Rashad Hussain
Abdulaziz Sachedina
and more
For a short time, Rashad Hussain was embroiled in controversy after the GMBDW reported both his associations with the US Muslim Brotherhood and remarks that he had made in 2004 about the prosecution of convicted terrorist Sami Al-Arian that were later deleted from the publication that reported them. Mr. Hussain at first denied remembering that he had made the remarks calling the prosecution “politically motivated persecution” but later, after an audio tape surfaced documenting the remarks, he acknowledged the comments but said that they had been “ill advised.” Mr. Hussain also admitted that he had complained to the publication about being misrepresented after the remarks were first reported but that the publication had deleted them on their own volition. The remarks did not appear to have been deleted until after Mr. Hussain had been appointed White House Counsel. (for an analysis of these events, go here). Since that time, Mr. Hussain has appeared at numerous events sponsored by the US Muslim Brotherhood including those held by the Center for the Study of Islamic and Democracy (CSID), the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, the Council for the Advancement of Muslim Professionals (CAMP), and the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA).
MPAC, headquartered in Southern California, was established initially in 1986 as the Political Action Committee of the Islamic Center of Southern California whose key leaders likely had their origins in the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. Since that time, MPAC has functioned as the political lobbying arm of the U.S. Brotherhood. MPAC has opposed virtually every count-terror initiative undertaken or proposed by the U.S. government. At times this opposition was said to be on civil-rights grounds but, just as often, MPAC claimed that U.S. counter-terror efforts were aimed at the U.S. Muslim community itself. MPAC has consistently supported and facilitated terrorism by supporting terrorist organizations and, more broadly, constructing an elaborate ideology defending the use of violence by Islamists and Islamist organizations. More than any other U.S. Muslim Brotherhood organization, MPAC has developed extensive relationships with the U.S. government which have included numerous meetings with the Department of Justice and the FBI. A previous post reported that MPAC recently participated in a White House meeting with President Obama and cabinet officials to announce the President’s nomination to the Supreme Court.