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Public DiplomacyPublic Diplomacy: F&J has voluntarily provided "Citizen Diplomats" in many efforts to promote a more favorable impression of America overseas or to aid National Security Policies such as democracy promotion in Iraq. We've included information on visits with State Department Officials, attendance at State Functions as well as Democracy Workshops for Iraqi Media Executives and European Muslim Leaders.
Picture taken by F&J President Mohamed Elibiary in the East Room of the White House. The halo around President Bush was naturally created by the spot lights, producing a "Holy Bush" effect.
The tradition of a day of prayer began with the Continental Congress when it asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in establishing a new nation in 1775. In 1952, President Harry S. Truman in a joint resolution with Congress declared a National Day of Prayer, and in 1988, President Reagan signed a law declaring the first Thursday in May as the National Day of Prayer. Annually, the President as well as State Governors issue proclamations asking all Americans to pray for our nation. *********************************************************************************************
DALLAS, TX - Saadia Ahmed, Executive Director of the Freedom and Justice Foundation, attended the Dallas area National Day of Prayer celebration organized by Thanksgiving Square. For the first time, the speaker at this annual event was an American Muslim, Daisy Khan. The breakfast started with several religious leaders of various faiths reciting some prayers from their own individual traditions. Then, Daisy Khan spoke about how Muslim values and American values are very much one in the same. Texas Muslims also participated in local National Day of Prayer events in several other cities including Austin, San Antonio and Houston. May God bless our nation and help people of faith find the middle ground needed to heal it. 2. 2006 US State Department Iftar Dinner in Washington DC
Op-Ed by F&J's President sharing some observations from the evening: “We don’t believe that the extremists will succeed, because we know that there is nothing irreconcilable between Islam and America” is how Under Secretary of State Nicolas Burns put America’s struggle against global violent extremism and intolerance in his address to an audience of 150 Muslims gathered for the 2006 Ramadan Iftar Dinner at the State Department Wednesday October 18th. Though a tradition started less then a decade ago, Ramadan Iftar Dinners are now hosted by most of the Executive Branch Departments dealing with Muslims in one manner or another. Since Ramadan is the holiest month spiritually for Muslims, an outreach event during that time seemed like the right thing to do a few years ago.
This year’s dinner was originally scheduled to headline Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice herself, but due to the Nuclear Tests being conducted by North Korea she had to dash off for a little shuttle diplomacy the day before. In her absence and continuing on with the night’s theme “Honoring Muslim Women” were Under Secretary of States Nicolas Burns and Karen Hughes. As each of these diplomats delivered their speeches one is meant to feel awed by his surroundings. Sitting in the Benjamin Franklin Room with the echoes of history all around us, one can’t help but marvel at the political sophistication of America’s first “greatest generation,” the founding fathers who designed Washington to impress upon all visitors a sense of awe not found in many other capitol cities.
Disembarking into an adjacent room with those Muslims wishing to offer their prayers, I found myself praying next to Thomas Jefferson’s desk. Hard to spiritually concentrate kneeling next to the desk where our nation’s Declaration of Independence was drafted, but one attempts hoping to find God’s grace none the less. After making a few prayers for ones family, community and country; I found a glass display with an old document inside next to Mr. Jefferson’s Desk. As I read the nearby plaque, I recognized that I was standing over the “Treaty of Paris” recognizing our independence from Britain and ending our Revolutionary War. Wow, I thought “wish my wife was here to see this.”
As with any function like this, there are too many memorable moments, statements and conversations to recall all of them here; but one stood out for me like a beacon in the fog. Seated at my table was the Honorable Ambassador John Hanford, who heads our State Department’s effort to promote Religious Freedom Internationally. As I listened to this man explain his struggles not just getting the different religions to work together oversees but also getting Muslims to be tolerant of other Muslims, I couldn’t help but think how so many Muslim activists oversees need to hear this man’s message. While it’s a refreshing exercise discussing with Academics such topics as President Musharaf’s struggles to overturn Pakistan’s blasphemy laws or Saudi King Abdullah’s struggles to increase acceptance of his nation’s minority Shia citizens; it’s the average activist on the street who drives his public’s political perceptions.
In the Quran Muslims are taught that they are “the best of communities” when performing three simple tasks, “believing in God”, “supporting good” and “opposing evil.” Today no one makes the argument that Muslims as a whole are providing much of a moral compass for humanity, and there’s the crux of why I believe God’s blessing doesn’t lie with those Muslim majority societies today. I tried to put this theory to work with Ambassador Hanford advising that because the overwhelming majority of Muslims don’t really think about how to create an “Islamic government” that America should as part of its conversations with Muslim majority societies oversees help sponsor those academic initiatives that would help drive political Islamists towards a more reconciled vision of civic tolerance. His answer was very direct for a diplomat stating that it was up to Muslims to spearhead these kinds of initiatives.
So there lies the crux of the problem in US – Political Islam Relations, a gun shy America can’t offer leadership and a resistance oriented political Islamic movement can’t offer mush more than targeted discontent. So the average American and the average Islamist continue in stalemate, as though potential allies each awaiting the Messiah to negotiate their partnership’s diplomatic breakthrough.
Mohamed Elibiary is president & CEO of the Plano-based Freedom and Justice Foundation. His e-mail address is me@freeandjust.org. 3. 2005 US-AID Iftar Dinner in Washington DC
The Freedom and Justice Foundation was invited by Mr. Andrew S. Natsios, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to attend the Washington DC Ramadan Iftar Dinner on Thursday October 20, 2005. Four F&J board members attended (pictured from left to right), Mohamed Elibiary, Anwar Khalifa, Sahar Aziz JD and Ian Benouis JD. In attendance were White House, State Department, and National Security Council officials. Numerous Foreign Ambassadors, well known Think Tank and Academic personalities, and Islamic religious leaders were also in attendance. With approximately 50% of all foreign aid given by the United States now going to Muslim countries including our democratization programs, Muslim engagement with agencies like USAID is a vital component of America's National Security strategy.
President George W. Bush hosted the Annual White House Iftar Dinner on Monday October 17, 2005. "And for the first time in our nation's history, we have added a Koran to the White House Library", said the President. To read or watch the President's comments, visit: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/10/20051017-5.html. 4. The Role of the Media in a Democratic Society Workshop for an Iraqi Media Executives State Department Delegation
5. The Civic and Political Integration of Immigrant Muslim populations in Western Society via Interfaith Relations Workshop for a European Muslim Leaders State Department Delegation
As part of the US State Department International Visitors Program post 9/11, key European Muslim leaders have been brought to America to study how the American Muslim community has integrated. This particular delegation included national leaders from several different European Muslim communities including Turkey's Ruling Party's VP, national umbrella organizations' leaders from Italy, Germany, as well as smaller countries such as Bosnia, Ireland and Serbia.
F&J was asked to explain its political philosophy when it comes to Interfaith Relations, how we've enacted it in Texas and what to expect of it in the future all the while navigating the internal schisms inside the Muslim community whether theological, cultural or ethnic.
6. F&J meeting with the newly appointed Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes
Washington DC based, F&J Policy Analyst Shahzeb Gaziani met with US State Department Undersecretary Karen Hughes at Foggy Bottom (State Dept. HQ in Washington DC). The office of Public Diplomacy works very closely with the White House to formulate the American Government's message oversees. Shahzeb was one of about 20 Muslim youth leaders granted an audience with Under Secretary Hughes to discuss various Foreign and Domestic Policies as well as America's Public Relations challenges and how to overcome them. Other Muslim organizations with representatives at the meeting along with the Freedom and Justice Foundation (F&J) included the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the Muslim Student Association (MSA), and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC). F&J congratulates the Undersecretary for launching her outreach initiatives very soon after taking office. American Muslims are an invaluable asset that America can ill afford to not utilize completely in this time of serious public diplomacy need. And we look forward to increasing the engagement between our government and its Muslim citizens.
To send TEXAN Undersecretary Karen Hughes a good luck message on her new job call (202) 647-9199. A web based email can also be submitted via: http://contact-us.state.gov/ask_form_cat/ask_form_secretary.html © 2002-2007 The Freedom and Justice Foundation ~ 1925 East Beltline Rd. Suite 475 Carrollton, TX 75006 | |||||||||||||||||||
WASHINGTON D.C.- On Thursday May 3rd 2007, Mohamed Elibiary, President and CEO of the Freedom and Justice attended the National Day of the Prayer ceremony in Washington D.C. at the White House's invitation. The theme for 2007 was "America, Unite in Prayer." Mohamed later stated that "Gaining the opportunity to listen to the President's remarks from a few feet away was awe inspiring in the presence of Senators, National Religious leaders and simple folks like myself. I'm grateful for this opportunity to represent many Texas Muslims and look forward to the day when an Imam would recite a prayer like the other faith traditions represented at the podium."
On October 18, 2006 F&J's President, Mohamed Elibiary, and former F&J Policy Analyst, Shahzeb Gaziani, were invited guests by the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the State Department Iftar Dinner. Due to a last minute nuclear crisis requiring the Secretary's attention and shuttle diplomacy in Asia, the dinner was conducted by Under Secretary of State Burns and Under Secretary of State Hughes. Mohamed and Shahzeb joined an audience of approximately 150 Muslim guests for a nice dinner in the Franklin Room and prayed in the Adams Room. To watch the video of the night's speeches, go to: 
April 7, 2006 as part of the US State Department's International Visitor's Program, leading Iraqi Media Executives from Print and Broadcast Medias covering all the major ethnic and sectarian groups were brought to Dallas. F&J was requested to give them a workshop on the "Role of the Media in a Democratic Society" due to our experience working with the Media on issues revolving around some of the same topics they are struggling with in Iraq. F&J covered the developmental history of media in America, trends for the 21st Century in decentralization and new medium dissemination, and how best for editors and producers to manage the hot button topics of religion and politics as well as Political Islam.
