News

Breakdown of U.S. Assistance to Swat IDP's

Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard C. Holbrooke announced that $165 million in U.S. funds are being committed to programs for humanitarian relief, early recovery, and long-term reconstruction efforts to support the internally displaced in Pakistan. The distribution of these previously pledged funds will boost the capacity of critical programs to meet the changing needs of displaced families in Pakistan.

The $165 million will be channeled both to meet the ongoing needs of displaced persons, located in camps and in host communities, and also to address the needs of families as they return to rebuild their homes and communities in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan. Specifically:

$45 million will be provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to support locally driven rehabilitation of basic infrastructure, including: water systems; health facilities; schools; roads; and bridges - maximizing the use of local labor and resources.

$30 million will be contributed for small-scale infrastructure and community development grants for displaced families in NWFP.

$25 million will be provided by USAID to give families resources needed to rebuild their homes and livelihood. This will be facilitated through community-driven, quick-impact cash-for-work programs in areas of reconstruction and return. This could include removal of rubble and rehabilitation of irrigation systems in conflict-affected areas. As part of this assistance, USAID will support Pakistani government efforts to rebuild public buildings and facilitate the return of civil servants.

$23 million will be contributed to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) from the State Department's Bureau for Refugees, Population and Migration (PRM) for humanitarian relief and managing the voluntary return of displaced families to their homes. This includes providing emergency shelter and non-food items to camps managed by UNHCR, as well as to displaced families in host communities. It also includes protecting children from violence and reuniting unaccompanied children with their parents, and funding facilitated transportation to assist the Pakistani authorities to support the return of displaced people to their homes.

$20 million will be provided by USAID to rebuild education infrastructure across Dir, Swat, and Buner. More than 315 schools in NWFP have been damaged or destroyed due to the Taliban insurgency, and nearly 4,000 more are serving as informal camps for approximately 200,000 internally displaced persons.

$12 million will be contributed to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), from the State Department's bureau for refugees, to be used for humanitarian operations and assistance for returning families as they rebuild their lives. This includes support for operations that assist displaced families in host communities and in camps run by the Pakistan Red Crescent Society/ICRC, help for those who need to trace their family members, and provision of aid to people living in conflict-affected areas.

$10 million will be provided for immediate livelihood and agriculture programs, mobile health clinics in Buner and Swat, and cash-for-work activities. As part of this assistance, OFDA will provide tool kits valued at approximately $2 million, which will be distributed through the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and will include supplies such as shovels, pickaxes, and hammers.

Much of this money was included in the Obama Administration's supplemental appropriation for Pakistan last month, and the new disbursements will enable UNHCR, ICRC, IOM and other courageous relief organizations to more effectively and expeditiously serve the Pakistani people.

In addition to new programs from existing financial commitments, the State Department will provide a new grant of nearly $1 million that will allow the Pakistani government to work with U.S. and Pakistani telecom companies to deploy an SMS-text messaging system designed to help displaced families obtain critical information from the government, international relief agencies, and local community members.

Since May 2009, the Obama Administration has committed more than $320million to the Pakistani people to help them respond to this crisis. In addition to its own contributions, the U.S. Government has also actively encouraged financial contributions from other countries.

Poll finds Pakistani’s negatively view Obama foreign  policy

WorldPublicOpinion.org conducted a survey of the national population of Pakistan over May 17-28, 2009 covering their views on Swat Conflict, Afghanistan, and US.  Interviews were face-to-face in respondents’ homes. A total of 1,000 interviews were conducted across 100 primary sampling units in rural areas and urban areas. Read the complete report . The key findings of the study are:

1. Changing Views of Religious Militants

The Pakistani public’s views of militant groups operating in Pakistan have become sharply more negative over the last year and a half; very large majorities now see them as a serious threat to the country’s future

2. Views of the Swat Conflict

In the Swat Valley conflict Pakistanis strongly support the government and express confidence in its handling of the situation. Views are mixed on whether the government should have tried for an agreement with the Pakistani Taliban, but very large majorities now think the Pakistani Taliban has violated the agreement and will not keep it in the future

3. Views of the Pakistani Taliban

Pakistanis show far less confidence in the potential for the Pakistani Taliban to govern effectively than they do for the government, though many also have low confidence in the government. Pakistanis also appear to disagree with the Taliban about the treatment of women and girls, and the meaning of Shari’a in this regard

4. Afghan Taliban Operating in Pakistan

Three in five think it would be bad if the Taliban were to regain power in Afghanistan. An overwhelming majority thinks Afghan Taliban groups fighting to overthrow Afghanistan’s government should not be allowed to have bases in Pakistan. Most do not believe the Afghan Taliban has such bases; but if Pakistan’s government were to identify them, three in four think it should close such bases, even if it requires using military force

5. US Military Activity against Afghan Taliban in Pakistan

Despite its support for government action against Afghan Taliban bases, Pakistanis overwhelmingly reject US action against such bases. Even more say that current US drone aircraft attacks are not justified

6. Views of the Operation in Afghanistan

Almost all Pakistanis disapprove of the Obama administration’s decision to increase US forces in Afghanistan. Very large majorities disapprove of the NATO mission and say it should be ended now

7. President Obama and US Goals

Only one in three Pakistanis express confidence in President Obama or think his policies will be better for Pakistan. Very large majorities still have an unfavorable view of the current US government and think the US is playing a mostly negative role in the world. Very large majorities continue to think the US has hostile goals--to weaken and divide the Islamic world; to impose American culture on Muslim society; and to maintain control over the Middle East’s oil resources. Only a minority thinks it is a US goal to see the creation of a viable Palestinian state. When asked about Obama’s goals, Pakistanis’ views are almost exactly the same as their views of US goals

8. Perceptions of Al Qaeda as a Threat

A very large majority now looks on al Qaeda as a critical threat to Pakistan—a major increase from a year and a half ago. An overwhelming majority thinks al Qaeda should not be allowed to run training camps in Pakistan. Most do not believe al Qaeda has such camps; but if Pakistan’s government were to identify them, three in four think it should close them down, even if this requires using military force. However, views of al Qaeda per se are only moderately negative, and views of Bin Laden are mixed overall. A majority thinks al Qaeda does not favor democracy as a system of government

9. Al Qaeda and the US

Despite the negative views of al Qaeda, a very large majority says that were the US to identify al Qaeda camps in Pakistan, it would still not be justified in bombing them. In general, while a majority opposes al Qaeda’s attacks on Americans, a majority says they share many of al Qaeda’s attitudes toward the US

10. Leaders in Government, in the Opposition, and in Religious Militant Groups

A large majority views President Zardari unfavorably, but there are multiple national leaders whom most view favorably. Prime Minister Gilani is apparently not tarred by negative views of Zardari and gets favorable ratings from three in four Pakistanis. The restored Chief Justice Chaudry is very popular, and opposition leader Nawaz Sharif extremely popular. The leader most associated with the Pakistani Taliban, Maulana Sufi Mohammad, is rejected by three in four Pakistanis.

Pakistan not shown like this in evening news

World-famous advertising company Saatchi & Saatchi created a new video entitled "True Blue Pakistan,"  with the aim is to start showing the world the Pakistan you don't see on the evening news - A young, resilient, and determined nation with much potential. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTAh7taslKg

U.S. – India Agreements and Achievements

At the close of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s meetings with the Government of India today, the two governments issued a joint statement regarding their intentions to accelerate the growth of their bilateral relationship to enhance global prosperity and stability in the 21st century. The two governments also signed agreements and announced commitments as follows:

The two governments outlined a Strategic Dialogue that will focus on five principal pillars. Through a coherent structure of bilateral working groups, the two governments will address a wide range of issues with the goal of producing concrete results:

i. Strategic Cooperation working groups will address nonproliferation, counterterrorism and military cooperation;

ii. Energy and Climate Change working groups will continue our successful energy dialogue and begin discussions on actions to address the challenge of global climate change;

iii. Education and Development working groups will enhance our partnership in education and initiate discussions about women’s’ empowerment;

iv. Economics, Trade and Agriculture working groups will continue and strengthen our discussions on business, trade and food security; and

v. Science and Technology, Health and Innovation working groups will explore new areas for cooperation in leading technologies and in addressing global health challenges.

Global Poll Finds Widespread Belief that Afghans Want NATO Forces Out

A new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll of nations around the world finds that most publics polled believe that the Afghan people want NATO forces to leave Afghanistan now. On average 53 percent have this belief, while 30 percent assume that most Afghans want NATO forces to stay.

Among those who believe that the Afghan people want NATO forces to leave, 76 percent say that NATO forces should leave. Among those who believe that the Afghan people want NATO forces to stay, 83 percent say NATO forces should stay. Overall, on average, 37 percent think that NATO forces should remain in Afghanistan, while 50 percent think the mission should be ended now.

At the same time there is considerable concern about the possibility of the Taliban regaining power. In 18 of 20 nations polled most think that it would be bad if the Taliban were to regain power in Afghanistan, with an average of 61 percent saying that it would be bad and just 21 percent saying that it would be good. In Pakistan, where many Afghan Taliban insurgents are based, 61 percent of the public also say that it would be bad if the Taliban were to regain power.

"Even though there is widespread concern about the possibility of the Taliban regaining power in Afghanistan, most people seem to be saying that the Afghan people should decide whether or when NATO forces leave," comments Steven Kull, director of WorldPublicOpinion.org.

Health Reforms - debate goes on

US House of representatives failed to vote on the Health care bill before their scheduled August break. US Senate though in session for another week is most likely follow suit.  The bill is currently being debated in congressional sub committees. PAKPAC has obtained a section by section summary of salient features of the bill.

Viewpoint

Tom Friedman’s mis-education - By Mosharraf Zaidi

This past weekend, two of The New York Times’ finest columnists wrote about the excellent work of philanthropists and social entrepreneurs in helping Pakistan respond to the challenges of building a better society. Dr Shershah Syed’s work in maternal and women’s healthcare (which Nicholas Kristof wrote glowingly about) and “Three Cups of Tea” author Greg Mortenson’s building of rural schools (which was highlighted in Thomas Friedman’s column), are both excellent examples of the kinds of innovation and enterprise being deployed by ordinary people of extraordinary commitment.

Let’s be clear. The philanthropy, social enterprise, intellect and integrity of folks that do their bit for humanity is something that should inspire and instruct all our lives. So when Greg Mortenson drinks his third cup of tea and becomes a part of the communities he learnt to love, and establishes fifty or one hundred schools, or several hundred more, in Pakistan—Pakistanis should salute him. Of course, Pakistani arms would get tired, very rightly, for having to salute several hundred standout philanthropists and social entrepreneurs for their work in education. There is a long list of accomplished individual and collective efforts to educate Pakistan . Those efforts come in all shapes, sizes and colors—secular, non-profit, faith-based, or for-profit.

Parsi schools have churned out the finest (in all senses of the word) young ladies of Karachi for decades. Catholic schools have produced some of Pakistan’s most talented citizens (with a well-deserved shout out reserved for the holy trinity of Pakistani Catholic schools—St Joeseph’s and St Patrick’s in Karachi, and Rawalpindi’s St Mary’s).  Read complete article

Tales From Rural Pakistan, Lived and Shared  - by SABRINA TAVERNISE

In the steamy heat of central Pakistan, a novelist is writing. He describes a hidden world of servants and their feudal masters, the powerlessness of poverty and the corruption that glues it all together.

These lives, tucked away in the mango groves, grand estates and mud-walled villages of rural Pakistan, are rarely seen by outsiders. But the writer, Daniyal Mueenuddin, a Pakistani-American who lives here, has brought them into focus in a collection of short stories, “In Other Rooms, Other Wonders,” published this year.

They are intimate portraits that raise some of the biggest questions in Pakistan today. Why does a small elite still control vast swaths of land more than 60 years after Pakistan became a nation? How long will landlords continue to control the law and the lives of the peasants on their land in the same way British rulers did before them?

Mr. Mueenuddin, 46, offers a richly observed landscape that is written with the tenderness and familiarity of an old friend. The estate Mr. Mueenuddin lives on in southern Punjab, Pakistan’s biggest province, belonged to his father, a prominent Pakistani civil servant, and he used to come here as a boy. Read Complete article

Spotlight

Spotlight on Shaarik Zafar -Sr. Policy Advisor DHS

Shaarik H. Zafar serves as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Office for Civil Rights & Civil Liberties at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).  His duties include: providing legal and policy advice to Department leadership on issues at the intersection of civil rights and homeland security; working with other Federal agencies to develop and strengthen the U.S. Government’s civic engagement, public outreach, and public diplomacy initiatives; regularly engaging  with the American Arab, Muslim, Sikh, Middle Eastern, Somali, and South Asian communities to discuss ways to strengthen homeland security while protecting fundamental rights and liberties; and helping law enforcement officials better engage with ethnic and religious minorities.

Prior to joining DHS, Mr. Zafar served as the Special Counsel for Post 9/11 National Origin Discrimination at the U.S. Department of Justice where he led DOJ’s Initiative to Combat Post 9/11 Discriminatory Backlash.  As Special Counsel, his duties included: coordinating the investigation of hate crimes, employment discrimination, and other unlawful forms of national origin and religious discrimination; conducting outreach to vulnerable communities to provide them information about Federal civil rights protections; and advising the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights on issues affecting ethnic and religious communities. 

 Mr. Zafar is a recipient of the DHS Secretary’s Award for Excellence (2007).  He is also the recipient of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee’s annual “Friend in Government Award” (2008), the Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America’s “Freedom and Justice Award” (2008), the South Asian Chamber of Commerce’s “Community Service Award” (2008), and the North American South Asian Bar Association’s annual “Access to Justice Award” (2006).  He is a 1997 graduate of the Plan II Honors Program at the University of Texas at Austin, and received his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 2000.  Prior to joining the Federal government, he worked as a civil litigator at one of the oldest law firms in Houston, Texas, and as a summer associate at the Almaty, Kazakhstan office of an international law firm. 

Mr. Zafar is a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a Life Member of the Texas Exes, the Ex Students Association of the University of Texas at Austin. 

Upcoming Seminars at Think Tanks

To get information about future seminars and events relating to US-Pakistan relations, please visit the following websites

Atlantic Council

Brookings Institution

Heritage Foundation

Middle East Institute

SAIS

NY Senate Honors PAKPAC BOD Dr. Mushtaq A. Sheikh for Distinguished Citizen Award

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to take  note  of  and publicly  acknowledge  individuals of remarkable integrity and character who have inspired and brought pride to our majestic  Empire  State  with their strong contributions to the community and model citizenship; and WHEREAS,  Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long- standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor  Dr. Mushtaq  A. Sheikh upon the occasion of receiving the 2008 Southern Tier Distinguished Citizen Award from the Economic Opportunity Program,  Inc. of Chemung and Schuyler Counties (EOP); and WHEREAS, In 1974, Dr. Mushtaq Sheikh moved to the Southern Tier region where he began providing emergency room care at St. Joseph's Hospital in the city of Elmira, New York; and WHEREAS,  Across  34  years of medical practice in Chemung County, Dr. Sheikh has been chairman of the Department of Medicine and President  of the  Medical  Staff at Arnot Ogden Medical Center, past President of the Chemung County Medical Society, the Islamic Association  of  the  Finger Lakes, and Nishtar Medical College Alumni of North America; and WHEREAS, He is the founder of the Upstate NY/PA Chapter of the Association  of  Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA) and, since 2000, has served as a delegate of the Medical Society of the State of New York; he is currently Medical Director of Elcor Health  Services; and WHEREAS,  Among many notable enterprises and endeavors, Dr. Sheikh and APPNA, working with local community leaders and hospitals, established a Free Wellness Clinic at EOP in 2005; since  the  clinic's  opening,  Dr. Sheikh  and other volunteer physicians have screened more than 500 walk-in clients for blood pressure, blood sugar, and colorectal cancer; and WHEREAS, Dr. Sheikh has helped raise significant  funding  though  the American  Red  Cross  to assist victims of numerous floods, earthquakes, and other natural disasters nationally and across the world and, together with his son, USAF Major  Dr.  Fareed  Sheikh,  manned  the  American M.A.S.H. unit after the recent earthquake in Kashmir; and WHEREAS,  With  him  throughout  have been his wife, Bushra, and their three children, all of whom feel privileged to be a part of his life and rejoice in his achievements; and WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the occurrence of such a compassionate  blending  of  strength,  intellect and commitment as that demonstrated by Dr. Sheikh over a lifetime of sacrifice and dedication to others; and WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that  when  individuals  of  such  noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our attention, it is appropriate to publicly proclaim and commend those  individuals for the edification and emulation of others; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED,  That  this  Legislative  Body pause in its deliberations to honor Dr. Mushtaq A. Sheikh upon the  occasion  of  receiving  the  2008 Southern  Tier Distinguished Citizen Award from the Economic Opportunity Program, Inc. of Chemung and Schuyler Counties; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Dr. Mushtaq A. Sheikh. Watch video clip about the award.

PAKPAC President elect share concerns about health reforms with two Congressmen from Louisiana

PAKPAC President Elect Dr. Mohammad Suleman met with Congressman Steve Scalise (R- 1^st District) and Congressman John Fleming  M.D (R- 4^th District). With both Congressmen Dr. Suleman discussed pending health care reform, state of affairs in Louisiana, impact of stimulus spending, and foreign policy in particular US assistance to Pakistan. Dr. Suleman highlighted the concerns of US medical practitioners about the lack of medical liability reforms from the current Health reform plan which makes physicians to practice defensive medicine, and lack for competition for healthy care insurance. Dr. Suleman also highlighted the increased role Pakistan American community is playing in Louisiana local politics and seeking recognition for their efforts.

Dr. Noor meets with Democratic Majority Leader

PAKPAC BOD Dr. Noor Khan met with Jon Cooper, Democratic Majority leader in Suffolk County, NY to discuss the issues concerning US-Pakistan relations in particular proposed US economic assistance to Pakistan under Kerry Lugar and Berman bills. Other issues discussed were how to mobilize Pakistani community in Suffolk County to get more involved in local offices, and for the Democratic Party to support candidates of Pakistani American heritage to run for local offices. Dr. Khan also apprised Mr. Cooper about the ongoing Civil rights and immigration issues faced by the community. Mr. Cooper is a contender in a primary faceoff with US Senator Gillibrand for the 2010 elections.

PAKPAC attends US Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee hearing on Swat IDP's assistance

PAKPAC Executive Director Irfan Malik attended a hearing by US Senate Foreign relations subcommittee on US economic assistance for Swat IDP's. This hearing was Chaired by Senator Casey (D-PA). Four witnesses testified for the subcommittee. Senator Casey termed the international response to Pakistan’s humanitarian crisis as inadequate, asking for Gulf Arab states should contribute more. The United Nations in May appealed for 543 million dollars to help the nearly two million people displaced by fighting in northwestern Pakistan. UN figures show that less than 38 per cent of the appeal has been met. The top US diplomat on refugee issues said that the United States had more than met its responsibilities with more than 320 million dollars for Pakistan — much of it not channeled through the UN appeal. “The humanitarian response has been inadequate,” Assistant Secretary of State Eric Schwartz told a congressional hearing. “Other countries must come forward to help. “This was one of the largest rapid displacements of people in recent memory,” he said, adding “Pakistani authorities have responded effectively and returns have begun, but there are still 1.5 million people who have not returned.” Senator Bob Casey, who led the hearing, said that Gulf Arab states, most of which have large South Asian work forces, should give more money to relief efforts. “I’ve been disappointed, to say the least, by the lackluster response by the international community to date, especially that of the Gulf states,” said Casey, a member of President Barack Obama’s Democratic Party. “We’re not talking about military forces here — just financial assistance. It’s time our allies and friends step up to the plate,” he said.

Immigration

PAKPAC meets with USCIS to discuss Community issues

PAKPAC  Executive Director Irfan Malik met with USCIS officials in Washington DC to discuss immigration and citizenship issues faced by our community. Of the issues discussed were delay in approving citizenship cases. USCIS provided update on current status of citizenship approval cases.  USCIS is in the process of improving its website making it user friendly so that many answers are made available through web. Currently USCIS receives 60 million inquiries per year out of these 12 million are answered by a live USCIS representative.  USCIS also clarified that knowledge of English language requirement is waived for individuals of +50 years of age applying for citizenship. If you know someone who is experience delays in citizenship application processing then please contact ED@pakpac.net

PAKPAC attends Department of Justice Interagency meeting

PAKPAC Directors Shehzad Akhtar and Irfan Malik attended DOJ Civil Rights meeting in Washington DC. PAKPAC highlighted to State Department representative the issues faced by Pakistani nationals through-out the world in getting tourist visa for USA. According to State Department non immigrant tourist visa application processing should take less than three months. In May of this year State Department has streamlines its visa application process resulting in further improvement  in visa processing time. If you know someone who is experience delays longer than 90 days for non immigrant visa than please contact ED@pakpac.net , providing name, date and location visa applied, and visa application #.

USCIS Resumes Processing for Nonimmigrant Religious Visa

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that, it will resume Premium Processing Service for nonimmigrant religious worker petitions filed by certain R-1 petitioners.  This would help religious workers to travel during the busy month of Ramadhan. Only those petitioners who have successfully passed an on-site inspection are eligible to file under Premium Processing Service.

Accordingly, USCIS will resume its acceptance of Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, for Form I-129s, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, requesting R-1 nonimmigrant visa classification, only from those religious organizations that have previously had a successful completion of a site inspection at the location where the beneficiary will be employed.  Prior to accepting the Form I-907, USCIS will conduct a system search to verify whether or not a successful site inspection was completed at the location where the beneficiary will work.  The petitioner may choose to submit a copy of Form I-797 approval notice for the previously approved R petition to facilitate USCIS in locating the petitioner’s site inspection record.

Information about the expanded Premium Processing Service, including what classifications are eligible to request such processing, is available on the USCIS Web site at www.uscis.gov or by calling the USCIS National Customer Service Center toll free at (800) 375-5283.

Civil Liberties

Senate considers National ID card

US Senate is debating to repeal the REAL ID Act with PASS ID Act (Senate Bill # 1261). A side by side comparison of the two is tabulated for your review. This bill seeks to set out minimum requirements for State driver’s licenses and ID cards regarding what data is included and what documentation must be presented when receiving such ID cards. In turn, it would shift a degree of authority from the State to the Federal level by prohibiting a Federal agency from accepting, for any official purposes, a State ID card unless that State it is materially compliant with this bill’s minimum requirements. The proposed ID card would become the legal identification document. In anticipation that the PASS ID Act may be signed into law as proposed, PAKPAC respectfully requests DHS to use its rulemaking authority to protect the right of observant Muslim Americans and others to wear religiously-mandated head coverings without modification or removal for driver‘s license and other identification photographs. Read more about REAL ID

Secretary Napolitano outlines DHS Policy

DHS Secretary Napolitano delivered a major policy address at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on homeland security and the Department’s approach to preventing terrorist attacks.  Click here to read the Secretary’s full speech.

 Key Excerpts

• President Obama has been a forceful advocate for seeing the threat of terrorism in all its complexity, and in bringing all our resources, not just the federal government, to bear against violent extremism.

• We must therefore refocus our counter-terror approach to make it a shared endeavor . . . to make it more layered, networked and resilient . . . to make it smarter, and more adaptive.

• We must get to a point where we are in a constant state of prepared, not a constant state of fear.

• A wise approach to keeping America secure should be rooted in the values that define our nation, values like resilience, shared responsibility and standing up for what’s right.

• Today, we face a networked enemy, and we must meet it with a networked response. Therefore, more than just more hardware, we also need new thinking.

• So, how do we secure our homeland while maintaining true to our values? With four levels of collective response.

o It starts with the American people. From there it extends to local law enforcement, and from there, up to the federal government, and then, finally, out beyond our shores, where America’s international allies can serve as partners in our collective fight against terrorism.

• Yet we can’t hermetically seal off the country, or our citizens around the world.

• The team we put on the field needs to be bigger, better networked and better trained.

• To sum up, countering the terrorist threat is not just the efforts of one agency, or one element of society. Nor is it the consequence of one tactic. Rather it requires a holistic and unrelenting approach: all levels, all tactics, all elements of society.

Religious Freedom

PAKPAC to work with Bureau of Justice Assistance to amend inaccurate training material

During DHS Civil Rights Division Interagency meeting Civil Liberties groups brought attention to numerous disturbing, discriminatory, and inaccurate publications created or sponsored by Bureau of Justice Assistance that were made available at Fusion Centers and government sponsored events.  Fusion centers were created to share and analyze intelligence from federal, state, and local sources, in an effort to get information to the police officers that are on the front lines of the “war on terror.” These publications used as training material at Fusion Centers inaccurately depict life style, names, and other attributes of Muslims. PAKPAC and other Civil Liberties groups will work with DHS to amend these publications.

Allowing Religious Head coverings in Courts-  Georgia , Maryland

Georgia courtrooms will allow wearing of religious headgear in Courts. The Civil Rights Division’s Coordination and Review Section had initiated a compliance review of the Judicial Branch of Georgia on January 30, in response to complaints from several Muslim women that they had been barred from entering courthouses in Georgia because they were wearing headscarves. In response Georgia Department of Law informed the Civil Rights Division that it had adopted the following policy:

“Head coverings are prohibited from the courtroom except in cases where the covering is worn for medical or religious reasons. To the extent security requires a search of a person wearing a head covering for medical or religious reasons, the individual has the option of having the inspection by a same-sex officer in a private area. The individual is allowed to put his or her own head covering back on after the inspection is complete. “

In Maryland,  Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler determined that a deputy sheriff may require individuals entering the courthouse to remove masks, veils, or other face coverings at a security checkpoint, without regard to whether the individual claims a religious basis for remaining masked or veiled.  The opinion will have negative impact on many individuals in Maryland who wear religious headwear, including Muslim women who wear the hijab..  According to the Constitution, as interpreted by the Supreme Court, the only way a state may infringe upon the free exercise of an individual’s religious observance, is if a compelling state interest exists to justify it.  There clearly is no compelling state interest to deny individuals wearing any type of religious headwear access to justice.  Simple constitutional law states that if less intrusive methods are available they must be taken.

Fundraiser

Event for Congressman Massa - Aug 4th, Corning NY

Dr. Mushtaq Sheikh and Mrs. Bushra Sheikh are hosting an event for Congressman Eric Massa (D-29^th NY) on Tuesday Aug 4th at 8:20 PM at Radisson Hotel, Corning, NY with Majority Leader Steny Hoyer in attendance.  You may recall, at PAKPAC Day on Hill in Feb 2009, Congressman Eric Massa was invited by Dr. Sheikh and he gave a highly inspiring speech. Congressman Massa is a first term Congressman and can become a major supporter of our issues. Besides other geo political issues, Congressman Massa will be discussing healthcare reforms at this event. If you are interested to support Congressman Massa then please contact Dr. Mushtaq Sheikh at  MSheikh@stny.rr.com