PAKPAC Press Releases

PAKPAC Welcomes the Obama Administration’s decision to repeal “The Fourteen Country Protocol”

 Washington D.C., April 2, 2010 – The Pakistani American Public Affairs Committee (PAKPAC) welcomes the Obama Administration’s announcement this morning to rescind a misguided and hastily announced airport screening policy issued on January 3^rd after the Christmas Day failed bombing attempt by Nigerian Citizen Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. The flawed policy applied enhanced security screening for passengers traveling to and from 14 predominantly Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan, to the United States. It required all citizens of the world including US Citizen who have travelled to and from these fourteen countries to undergo full-body pat-downs and inspection of carry-on luggage before boarding a plane. Today Obama Administration announced abandoning its policy of using nationality alone to determine which U.S.-bound international air travelers should be subject to additional screening, and will instead select additionally screen passengers based on possible matches to intelligence information, including physical descriptions or a particular travel pattern.

To improve air security PAKPAC has advocated to adopt a system, which is based on behavior and specific legitimate intelligence leads about a threat of attack, and not national origin, ethnicity or religion which results in profiling, civil rights violations, and the diversion of critical resources that our country needs to identify genuine threats to security. It maybe recalled that this policy led to a major embarrassment for State Department when last month a delegation of Senators from Pakistan on an official trip to USA refused to go through additional screening at Washington DC Reagan Airport.

PAKPAC joins in with the Pakistani American community and other Civil Rights groups in hailing this positive step and following the recommendations that PAKPAC has had in public and private meetings with Obama Administration and US Legislators.  On January 8^th in a letter to Department of Home land Security Secretary Janet Napolitano PAKPAC and a coalition of other civil rights groups requested that the policy be rescinded immediately. On January 19^th PAKPAC Board Members Amina Khan and Irfan Malik met with Director of National Intelligence Admiral Dennis Blair and requested to rescind this policy due to lack of effectiveness to improve air travel safety. On January 27^th in a two day meeting with senior officials of Department of Homeland Security which included a meeting with Secretary Napolitano PAKPAC and other Civil rights groups reiterated their concerns and again requested rescinding the policy. Additionally PAKPAC met with Officials from Transport Security Administration, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security advocating for change in TSA policy.

PAKPAC Board Members Dr. Saud Anwar, Amina Khan, Parvez Shah, Shahid Tahir, Farooq Soomro, and Irfan Malik on various occasions made similar requests to over 14 US legislators to rescind this policy due to lack of its effectiveness to improve air travel safety. These legislators included, Senator Joe Lieberman, Chair of Senate Homeland Security Committee, Senator Mikulski, Senator Cardin, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Chairperson House Homeland Security Committee, Congressman Cummings, Congressman Van Hollen, Congressman Ruppersberger, Congressman Sarbanes, Congressman Gary Peters, Congressman Andre Carson, Congressman Keith Ellison, Congressman Price, Congressman Courtney, and Congressman Chris Murphy.

“We are proud Americans and are proud that our Administration has heard our voices to go back to the basic and important American value of no profiling based on national origin' faith or race” PAKPAC President Dr. Muhammed Suleman said. PAKPAC Executive Director, Irfan Malik reiterated that this common sense approach will allow our law enforcement agencies to focus their limited resources on potential threats, rather than subjecting large numbers of innocent travelers to embarrassing secondary searches based on their national origin.

PAKPAC ask the Pakistani American Community and all Americans to remain watchful about individuals and groups with any direct or indirect inclination of harming any American in any way. If anyone with suspicious behavior is identified they need to be reported to local authorities.

Archived Press Releases

News

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Stresses Importance of Girls' Education

During a visit to the Girls' Model School in Islamabad on April 2, U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee underscored the importance of girls' education in Pakistan.  The Congresswoman's tour was part of a two-day official visit to Pakistan.

Congresswoman Jackson Lee met with students and teachers of the Girls' Model School to discuss curriculum planning, educational development, and student achievement. She also toured the school's new science laboratory, refurbished and supplied by the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) ED-LINKS project, a 5-year, $90 million project working at all levels of the education system to improve student learning outcomes and to strengthen federal, provincial and district government capacity to deliver quality education.

"It is vitally important to support initiatives to empower young girls in Pakistan, especially in the area of education," Congresswoman Jackson Lee said during her school visit. "As we work to improve student achievements and enhance academic support by developing our teachers' abilities, we hope to strengthen the educational system at all levels, which is critical to a prosperous future for Pakistan."

U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is a founder, member, and co-chair of the Congressional Pakistan Caucus. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is an advocate for improving and enhancing the education for all children in Pakistan with a special emphasis on girls' education. She has written legislation in support of these efforts. Rep. Jackson Lee is a senior member of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee and chair of the transportation security and infrastructure protection committee.

Asst Secy Blake Readout on South Asia

Assistant Secretary of State Blake met with reporters at State Department following his travels to Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India.  This was Secy Blake first visit o Pakistan after taking office. He reiterated the importance that the United States attaches to broadening and deepening the partnership between the United States and Pakistan, as shown by US decision to initiate the Strategic Dialogue that was led by Secretary Clinton and Foreign Minister Qureshi, and as also shown by the significant new assistance that the United States is providing to Pakistan, as symbolized by the Kerry-Lugar legislation.

Asst Secy Blake said United States hopes that India and Pakistan can improve relations between two friends of the United States. He reiterated US longstanding position that the pace, scope, and character of relations and the resumption of relations is up to the governments of India and Pakistan. He reminded that from 2004 to 2007, both of those countries made quite important progress in their bilateral relations and that that progress was made possible in part by the significant efforts that the Government of Pakistan made at that time to stop cross-border infiltration. He thanked all of our interlocutors in Pakistan for the very important progress that Pakistan has made to date, first in its campaign in Swat and more recently in South Waziristan, and then the arrest of Taliban leaders that you have all seen. Asst Secy Blake urged them to also take action against the Punjab-based groups such as LET because – not only because that’s important to India, but it’s important to the United States. Addressing trade between India and Pakistan was to urge business communities to take advantage of the significant and thus far under-exploited opportunities for trade between India and Pakistan. Trade is only about – the volume of bilateral trade and the value of it is about $2.75 billion a year, officially. There is some trade that comes through Dubai and then elsewhere. But the larger point is that that is quite small for countries whose economies are really quite well developed and that such trade would provide significant employment opportunities not only for Pakistan but also for India. And that in itself would have a stabilizing impact. Read the complete exchange of questions and answers.

Viewpoint

Courting Pakistan: Forging a Strategic Partnership - Shuja Nawaz

The United States and Pakistan is the world's oddest couple, with an on-again, off-again friendship that has survived since the 1950s. Last week both sides completed a "strategic dialogue" in Washington amid fears that they were headed for another break-up. Those fears can only be countered if both the U.S. and Pakistan keep the larger goal in mind: the development of a stable, secure and prosperous Pakistan.

Last week's dialogue reiterated common goals on some key issues, including energy, infrastructure, agriculture and trade. But the hard issues — the Afghan Taliban operating inside Pakistani space, the Pakistan-India conflict over Kashmir, and Islamabad's wish for a civil nuclear deal similar to the one given to India — were politely avoided in public commentary.

Part of the problem is Pakistan's wariness of U.S. intentions. As the late Pakistani dictator General Zial ul Haq once explained to his ambassador in Washington, Jamsheed Marker, "Being friends with the United States is like living on the banks of a great river. Every four years it changes course, and leaves you either flooded, or high and dry!" The U.S. showers aid and attention on Pakistan when it suits its strategic interests in the region and then leaves. Pakistan meanwhile seeks security against a larger and potentially hostile neighbor to the east: India. Each pretends to meet the other's needs while papering over differences. Read More

Community Action

Petition to Stop Racial Profiling

PAKPAC asks its reader to sign a  petition to stop Racial profiling in USA. It is time to face the truth about the Department of Justice guidance on racial profiling. As written, the 2003 guidance has loopholes and omissions that allow for some of the very behavior the guidance is intended to regulate:

·                     Allows for profiling based on religion and national origin;

·                     Includes loopholes that allow profiling at borders in the name of "national security;"

·                     Doesn’t apply to all federal law enforcement activity;

·                     Isn’t enforceable; and

·                     Doesn’t consistently apply to state or local law enforcement agencies working in cooperation with federal agencies or receiving federal money.

We urge you to sign the following petition to the DOJ to strengthen the guidelines.

Sign the petition to ask Attorney General Holder to strengthen the 2003 guidelines on racial profiling to:

·                     include profiling based on religion and national origin;

·                     close loopholes that allow profiling at borders in the name of "national security";

·                     ensure that the guidelines are enforceable and that law enforcement agencies are held accountable; and

·                     apply to state or local law enforcement agencies working in cooperation with federal agencies or receiving federal money.

CENSUS 2010 Update

As of  Apr 11th Census National Participation Rate is: 65%. The following  States (mostly in Midwest)- Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan and Nebraska have the highest Census participation rate,  Livonia City, MI currently has the highest participation rate of 82%. Do not let down your State or Community – Participate, if you have not done so, please fill out the form and mail it today   Check out the participation rate in your state.  If you did not receive your Census form in mail, than please call1-866-872-6868

If 100% of households mailed back their forms, taxpayers would save 1.5 BILLION dollars. At a time of increased budget deficit lets do our part to contain government spending.

PAKPAC has developed an instructional video to help our readers in filling out Census 2010 form correctly. Over 130 million households in USA including yours, would have received a Census 2010 envelope this week.. In order to make sure that the form is correctly filled please watch this video before filing out the form.  Make sure you correctly answer Question #9 about race of the head of the household. You must enter "Other" followed by "Pakistan" . Similarly Answer Question 6 for other members of the household.

The formula for success on the Census is simple: 10:10:10:10.  It takes 10 minutes to watch the video. There are 10 questions, which take 10 minutes to fill out, and which will determine for 10 years whether or not your State, City, or Neighborhood will get its fair share of federal funds.

You don't have to worry that your answers will be used for any other purpose than to compile an accurate count. PAKPAC has received a clarification  letter from Department of Justice that information provided on Census form cannot be used for any other purpose, even under Patriot Act Commerce Department is under no obligation to provide this information to any agency other than for Census purposes. That's the law.

PAKPAC requests to all Pakistani Americans to fully participate and make sure that they and their loved ones are counted. You are requested to fill and return it promptly but no later than April 1^st. Participation is mandatory and your response is required by law, with a penalty of $5,000 for non compliance. It is crucial for the Pakistani American community as one of the fastest growing and traditionally undercounted populations to be accurately counted. It will also indicate what is the total count of Pakistani Americans in USA, and in which states, towns they reside in. Anyone in the family can complete the Census form and it is required to have information on all people present in the household on the day the form is filled.

Participation in census is not dependent on your visa or residency status. The census does not ask about your status. (Your information is protected). Please complete the form and include any relatives and friends even if temporarily staying at your address on that day. To make it easier for US residents, Census Bureau have translated many forms and instructions and other information in many languages including Urdu. Read Census form in Urdu.

Importance of Mailing Back a Census Form

·         Completing and mailing back a form is the easiest and most efficient method of participating in the 2010 Census.

·         The Census Bureau has challenged everyone in the United States to top the Census 2000 mail participation rate of 72 percent, which was the national rate as of the April 2000 cut-off.

·         Mailing back your form is important because about $85 million is saved for every one percent increase in mail participation.

·         Additionally, the Census Bureau saves $60-$70 per census form returned by mail.

If you do not mail than

·         During peak recruiting for 2010 field operations, nearly 500 Local Census Offices will hire more than 1.2 million people to conduct all remaining 2010 Census field operations.

·         It is estimated that census workers will have to visit about 47 million homes during Nonresponse Follow-up (NRFU) operations; the process by which census workers visit addresses that did not return a census form in order to take the count in person. During NRFU, census workers will make up to six attempts to obtain data from households that do not respond by mail.

If you have any questions about 2010 Census please contact ed@pakpac.net or 202-558-6404. Remember, it takes 10 minutes to fill out 10 questions for 10 years' worth of federal dollars. So be sure to fill out your form so your community gets its fair share.

Census Timeline: Key Dates to Remember

April 1^st 2010: Census Day, Mail your questionnaire back

May 2010 – July 2010: Census takers follow up with households that did not return questionnaires

December 31, 2010: U.S Census Bureau delivers apportionment counts to the president.

For more information about the upcoming count, or to find out about temporary employment as a Census worker, go to www. 2010.Census.Gov.

Useful Links

U.S. Census Page

Answers to some of the most frequent questions about the census

Ten Questions - Ten Minutes  

Jobs @ Census

Follow census updates on Twitter

Announcement

USAID $25 million Grant for Improving Governance in Pakistan for Pakistani NGO’s

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Pakistan (USAID/Pakistan) is seeking applications from Pakistani organizations, to implement the ASP program.  USAID/Pakistan contemplates awarding two Cooperative Agreements for a period of five years. The estimated overall amount of this activity is between US$20 Million - US$25 Million. The primary objective of Civil Society Organizations (CSO) and Government of Pakistan (GOP) entities Assessment and Strengthening Program (ASP) is to establish a mechanism that will enable USAID/Pakistan to work with more local implementing partners and host government institutions, many of which are faced with institutional capacity issues. Through the performance of pre-award surveys, ASP will specifically target those local implementing partners which are considered essential (key partner organizations) to meeting USAID/Pakistan’s goals and objectives, but do not meet minimum standards for managing USG funds as defined in USAID rules and regulations. ASP will allow for the provision of the technical assistance required to build their institutional capacity up to USAID standards. How to Apply

USAID Job Opening for Budget Analyst

The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking applications from qualified individuals interested in the position of Budget Analyst  Solicitation Number: 391-10-028. Applications should be submitted electronically to hrislamabad@usaid.gov (attention to Leila Alikadic, Human Resources Manager, USAID/Pakistan). This solicitation will remain open until April 19, 2010. How to apply

Spotlight

Robina Niaz – Turning Point

Born and raised in Pakistan, Robina migrated to the United States in 1990. In December 2004, she founded Turning Point for Women and Families and serves as its Executive Director. Prior to 2004, Robina worked at NYANA's Center for Women and Families, Consortium for Worker Education, CAMBA and Safe Horizon in various management/supervisory positions. Over the years, Robina has served on the boards of Sakhi, Queens Women's Network, Interfaith Council of New York and the Coalition of Battered Women's Advocates. She has also served as a consultant to the Domestic Harmony Committee at the ICLI and a social work consultant to ICNA-Relief. She is currently a Board member with the Muslim Consultative Network and the Hartley Film Foundation. Robina is also a member of Field Education Advisory Board of the Social Work School at Adelphi University and the Social Work Advisory Council at Medgar Evers College, New York.

Robina is a fierce advocate of Muslim women's rights and has spoken extensively against domestic violence both locally and nationally. In September 2009, Robina was named a CNN Hero and in November 2009 she was featured as one of the "500 Most Influential Muslims" by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center and Georgetown University (www.rissc.org). In March 2010 Robina was also named "Queens Person of the Week" by NY1.

Robina has an M.S in Applied Psychology (Pakistan) and an MSW from Hunter College, New York, is a 2007 CORO Immigrant Leadership Fellow and a 2005 Open Society Institute/RCLA Social Justice Fellow. She speaks four South Asian languages.

Robina was honored by Queens Council for Social Welfare and NASW-NY (2006) and by NEMWA (North East Muslim Women's Association) for her services to Muslim women and girls. She is also the recipient of Women In Islam's Compass Award (2006), Union Square Award (2005) and the Rose Mary Gunning Award (2001) from the Queens Borough President in recognition of her work against domestic violence in the South Asian community. Read More about Turning Point 

Roshaneh Zafar: Pakistani Miracle Worker

Events & Activities

Pakistani American Children attend Easter Egg Hunt at White House

PAKPAC organized a group of 9 Pakistani American children accompanied by three Chaperons to participate in the Annual Easter Egg Hunt at White House.  These children came from seven states representing Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC, Michigan, and North Carolina. This year, in sync with First Lady Michelle Obama’s initiative to combat childhood obesity through the Let’s Move Campaign, the event was themed “Ready, Set, Go!” to encourage a health lifestyle In all over 30, 000 children from all fifty states transformed White House South Lawn into a playground, where they met Sports Stars, Book reading by famous Writers, Story telling by President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. Read complete list of activities

PAKPAC is the first Pakistani American Organization to be invited by White House to participate in eth White House Annual Easter Egg hunt... We had over 160 requests from Pakistani American Community for these tickets.  Given the high level of interest in the Pakistani American Community for such an event PAKPAC will attempt to secure more tickets next year, however we recommend that you can improve your chances of getting a ticket next year by participating in the White House lottery for the 2011 Egg hunt. To learn more about the lottery use the link below, note that this year lottery closed in February. http://www.ehow.com/how_6028430_white-egg-roll-tickets-2010.html

For those of you who are interested in taking a tour of White House, you have the following other options: 

White House Spring Tour

The White House will open its gardens and grounds to visitors on Saturday, April 17th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and on Sunday, April 18th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  These tours are open to the public; however, a ticket is required for all attendees, including small children. The National Park Service will distribute free, timed tickets at the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion located at 15th and E Streets on each tour day beginning at 8:00 a.m. Tickets will be distributed -- one ticket per person -- on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/tours_and_events/spring-garden 

White House Kitchen Garden Tours

Tours of the White House Kitchen Garden are available to elementary, middle or high school students on a first-come first-served basis most Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:30am. Tours consist of a group of up to 30 students with a maximum of 1 chaperone for every 7 students. Please fill out the brief application at the link http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/tours_and_events/garden

Please note: At this time tours are limited to local area schools. Requests can be submitted up to three months in advance and no less than 30 days in advance. You are encouraged to submit your request as early as possible since a limited number of tours are available. Tours consist of a guided viewing and explanation of the White House Kitchen Garden and will not include a visit inside the White House. Click here for more information on White House tours.

White House Tours

Public tours of the White House are available. Requests must be submitted through one's Member of Congress and are accepted up to six months in advance. These self-guided tours are available from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Fridays, and 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Saturdays (excluding federal holidays). Tour hours will be extended when possible based on the official White House schedule. Tours are scheduled on a first come, first served basis. Requests can be submitted up to six months in advance and no less than 30 days in advance. You are encouraged to submit your request as early as possible since a limited number of tours are available. All White House tours are free of charge. For the most current tour information, please call the 24-hour line at 202-456-7041. Please note that White House tours may be subject to last minute cancellation. If you wish to visit the White House and are a citizen of a foreign country, please contact your embassy in Washington, DC for assistance in submitting a tour request. For more information please visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/tours-and-events

Pakistani American Community Celebrates Pakistan Resolution Day

On April 3, 2010, the Pakistani-American community in New Hampshire celebrated Pakistan Resolution Day.  This was the 3rd annual event for the community and about 200 people attended.  The night was a celebration of taking pride in being a Pakistani.  This was a cultural event emphasizing Pakistani heritage.  People were encouraged to wear traditional Pakistani dresses; families were encouraged to bring their children.  No babysitting was allowed.  Children were allowed to play in the same place where the gathering occurred.  Even the musical entertainment had to accommodate the children.  The organizers and the community felt very strongly about making sure that the youth were part of the event.   

The key-note speaker was Shahid Buttar, the Executive Director of the Bill of Rights Defence Committee from Washington, D.C..  He spoke to the audience about community organizing and its role in helping not only Pakistanis, but Muslims in general.  He emphasized the importance of working within the system and understanding its structure.  Later in the evening he wowed the crowd with his poetry.

Pakistani Community in Michigan Hold Events for Congressman Gary Peters and Congressman Dan Burton

Pakistani Community in greater Detroit area held two separate events for Congressman Gary Peters and Congressman Dan Burton. PAKPAC Board of Director Dr. Shahid Tahir represented PAKPAC at both these events. The Community raised many issues with the two legislators representing the Democratic Party and Republican Party. Congressman Peters thanked the people of Pakistan for their role and sacrifices in fighting the war against terror. He recounted the loss of life and property at the hands of insurgents in Pakistan. Congressman Peters emphasized the need for regional stability in the sub-continent, both to fight terrorism and improve economic capacity of the region...  Congressman Peters agreed to work on improving Energy and Electricity Crisis in Pakistan. He gave total support for spending a portion of the US Economic Assistance through the Kerry Lugar – Berman Bill on improving the power generation and distribution capacity of Pakistan.  Talking about the issues faced by Pakistani Americans, he said he is fully aware of the lack of effectiveness of some of the policies of US Administration in particular  National Security Entry Exit Registration System and Transport Security Administration System on additional security checks for citizens and travelers from fourteen Muslim majority Countries.

Congressman Dan Burton Co Chair of Pakistan American Caucus urged the Community at an event organized by Council of Pakistan Relations  to increase their participation in US political process.

Pakistani Physicians Group Meet with Congressman Tom Price

Pakistani physicians and community leaders hosted a fund raise dinner for U.S. Congressman Tom Price in Atlanta, GA, at Dr. Yaseen Abubaker's residence to discuss issues such as health care, tort reform, immigration reform, racial profiling and U.S. Pakistan Business Relationship. Congressman Tom Price was also asked to support bills related to U.S. Pakistan Business Initiatives.

A group of physicians, along with PAKPAC Board of Director Farooq Soomro, Dr. Adnan Abassi, (President of APPNA GA) and Dr. Yaseen Abubaker (immediate past president of APPNA) shared their expertise and insights on tort reform, health care reform and new business initiatives for physicians from Pakistan. Over 35 members of the community attended the event. Dr. Yaseen Abubaker, Dr. Nasar Qureshi and Farooq Soomro discussed the APPNA National Health day with Congressman Price and won the support for project. Congressman Price agreed to sponsor the APPNA Health Day at hill by Physicians Caucus, Sponsor a Resolution at the Hill to recognize the APPNA and health day and to hold a special Press conference at the hill by Physicians Caucus along with APPNA and PAKPAC executive members.

Farooq Mughal, a veteran political strategist and governmental adviser, on behalf of PAKPAC and APPNA, officially proposed earmark recommendations and proposal on “Special Quote for Physicians from Pakistan under J-1 Visa Waiver Program by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)”. Read Complete Proposal

Immigration

USCIS Introduces video to understand naturalization process

In an attempt to provide more information and opening their doors to communities across the country and partnering with local groups to host free information sessions, USCIS has made a video that provides an overview of the naturalization process and includes simulated interviews. USCIS offers a variety of study materials for the naturalization test including an online practice test and other multimedia tools. And today, USCIS introduced a new video that walks viewers through the naturalization process and highlights simulated interviews between USCIS officers and citizenship applicants, be sure to check USCIS website for upcoming events in your area. Naturalization processing times have also improved dramatically over the last 18 months. With less time to prepare than in the past, we want to make sure that potential applicants have up-to-date and accurate information as they consider U.S. citizenship.

USCIS announced new civil rights initiatives tied to E-Verify

USCIS, Director Mayorkas signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between USCIS and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Civil Rights Division.  The MOA establishes the process for referrals between USCIS and DOJ’s Civil Rights Division with respect to allegations of discrimination from employer use of E-Verify and information regarding the misuse, abuse, or fraudulent use of E-Verify.

The Civil Rights initiatives also include:

1. Two Videos designed for employers and employees portraying real-world hiring scenarios.  The 20-minute videos are the result of collaboration between DHS’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and USCIS.

·                      “Understanding E-Verify: Employer Responsibilities and Worker Rights,” aimed at employers, explains E-Verify rules, procedures, and policies to employers with an emphasis on safeguarding employee privacy.

·                     “Know Your Rights: Employee Rights and Responsibilities,” aimed at employees, places special emphasis on the rights of employees, particularly when an employee receives a message from E-Verify indicating that there is a problem with the employment eligibility documents that the employee submitted to the employer. “Know Your Rights” is in English and Spanish.

·                     View the videos at:

o                                            www.dhs.gov/e-verify

o                                            www.youtube.com/ushomelandsecurity

·                     You may request a copy of the videos by e-mail: e-verify@dhs.gov.  Please include the name of the point of contact, the address to send the videos to, and how many copies you are requesting.

2. (888) 897-7781: A dedicated Employee Hotline created to respond to employee inquiries, also available in English and Spanish, will be inaugurated on April 5, 2010.

·                     Starting April 5, the new E-Verify Employee Hotline will respond to employee inquiries, issues and complaints. The Hotline will use an interactive voice response system. Employees will be able to choose from four options:

1.                               General E-Verify information,

2.                               Completing the Form I-9,

3.                               Contesting an E-Verify case, and

4.                               Filing a complaint regarding possible discrimination or employer misuse of the E-Verify program.

E-Verify is currently used by over 192,000 employers at 707,000 worksites and is growing by more than 1,000 employers a week.  For more information about E-Verify, please see www.dhs.gov/e-verify.

Civil Liberties

EEOC presents Employment Discrimination Charges against Muslim and South Asian

At a recent Inter Agency meeting at Department of Justice, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission provided the following fact sheet on Employment discrimination issues filed and closed since September 2001.

·                     Between 9/11/2001 and 3/11/2010, 1,024 charges were filed under Title VII alleging post-9/11 backlash employment discrimination.^[1]  5 charges remain open as of 3/11/2010.  Of the 1,019 charges resolved by the EEOC as of 3/11/2010, 84 (8.2%) were settlements, 30 (2.9%) were withdrawals with benefits, 25 (2.5%) were successful conciliations, 106 (10.4%) failed conciliation, 614 (60.2%) were closed with no cause findings, 100 (9.8%) were closed after Charging Parties requested and received notices of right to sue, 4 (0.4%) were closed after the respondent declared bankruptcy, 12 (1.2%) were closed as an administrative decision, 30 (2.9%) were closed for no jurisdiction, 2 (0.2%) were closed for a failure to respond to a letter, 3 (0.3%) were closed for a failure to cooperate with the EEOC, and 9 (0.9%) were withdrawn with no benefits.

·                     Of the 1,024 charges filed, Discharge is an issue in 610 charges and Harassment is an issue in 433 charges.

·                     As of 3/11/2010, the EEOC found reasonable cause to believe that a violation of Title VII occurred in 136 (13.3% of 1,024) charges alleging post-9/11 backlash employment discrimination.

·                     As of 3/11/2010, 153 individuals aggrieved by post-9/11 backlash discrimination in employment have received over $4,226,000 in monetary benefits through the administrative efforts of the EEOC. 

·                     Between 9/11/2001 and 3/11/2010, 1,024 charges were filed alleging post-9/11 backlash employment discrimination under Title VII.  The numbers by State are:  Alabama (10),        Arizona (52), Arkansas (4), California (164), Colorado (12), Delaware (2), District of      Columbia (21), Florida (66), Georgia (31), Hawaii (12), Illinois (63), Indiana (22),   Kansas (3), Kentucky (18), Louisiana (5), Maryland (7), Massachusetts (4),        Michigan (46), Minnesota (11), Mississippi (5), Missouri (11), Nevada (7),                 New Jersey (22), New Mexico (19), New York (42), North Carolina (39),          Oklahoma (18), Ohio (25), Oregon (4), Pennsylvania (43), South Carolina (12), Tennessee (21),  Texas (144), Utah (2), Virginia (32), Washington (19),                     West Virginia (2), and Wisconsin (4).

·                     From 9/11/2001 to 3/11/2010, the EEOC received 5,355^[2] charges of discrimination based on Religion - Muslim.  For a comparable period of time, 3/11/1992 to 9/10/2001 (eight and one-half years), prior to 9/11/2001, EEOC received 2,257 charges of discrimination based on Religion-Muslim.

Elections 2010

Virginia 2010 Election Outlook

With Virginia car dealer Scott Rigell emerging as the clear favorite among Republican candidates, Democratic Rep. Glenn Nye ’s re-election bid increasingly bears the marks of a very competitive contest.

As Nye and his party shift to playing defense in a historically challenging midterm election year, CQ is shifting the rating of the 2nd district race to “Tossup” from “Leans Democratic.”

Rigell, the preferred candidate of the National Republican Congressional Committee, has the personal and campaign resources and other political assets to run a very competitive race against Nye.

CQ Politics waited until now to make this rating change because the June 8 Republican primary is so crowded, with six candidates vying to be the one to take on Nye. The rating change is based on our perspective in looking ahead to November.

Democrats have a much less favorable environment to run in this year, and their task is made more difficult because there is no presidential race to entice voters to polls and no big statewide race — neither U.S. senator is up for election in 2010, and Virginia elected its governor in 2009.

In Nye’s district, the House race will top the ballot, and turnout can be expected to be a lot closer to the 2006 level of 173,000 than to the 2008 level of 271,000.

Nye actually received a slightly larger share of the vote than Obama, who edged John McCain in the district 50 percent to 48 percent. And he does have some major political assets.

Like many of his junior colleagues from politically competitive districts, including freshman Reps. Tom Perriello of Virginia’s 5th and Gerald E. Connolly of Virginia’s 11th, Nye is well-funded and will not be caught off-guard in the fall campaign.

And it will be difficult for Republicans to portray him as a lockstep adherent of Democratic leaders because his voting record is among the least liberal in the House Democratic Caucus. Nye voted for the economic stimulus law but bucked his party on the cap-and-trade climate change bill and a Democratic-written health care bill President Obama recently signed into law. Complete 2010 election map

Future Activities

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Event Apr 14th

PAKPAC Past President Saud Anwar will attend DCCC strategic planning event in Washington DC on Wed Apr 14th. The strategic session will focus on participation of minorities in critical House of Representatives races for 2010 elections.

The Challenges of Islamist Extremist Ideology to America's Founding Principles Talk by Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali  on Wednesday, Apr 14, 2010 Heritage Foundation Washington DC

Pakistani-born Bishop Ali  served as Bishop of Raiwind in Pakistan and is a prominent spokesman for a meaningful engagement between Christianity and Islam and commentator on the rise of Islamism and of Sharia Law in the West.

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