News

Obama Administration Draft metrics for Afghanistan and Pakistan

The goal of the United States is to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al-Qa'ida in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their return to either country in the future. During his March 27, 2009 speech announcing our new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, President Obama said "going forward, we will not blindly stay the course. Instead, we will set clear metrics to measure progress and hold ourselves accountable." This paper outlines a process to fulfill that directive. The intent is to use this assessment process to highlight both positive and negative trends and issues that may call for policy adjustments over time. The supporting objectives of the Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy form the framework for evaluating progress. The indicators within each of the objectives represent a mix of quantitative and qualitative measures, intended to capture objective and subjective assessments. Read Complete Metrics

Healthcare Reform debate

SAALT has put together a comprehensive package for how current healthcare reform impacts the immigrant community with a special focus on South Asians. Below are some resources you can turn to for finding out more about what is at stake in the debate.

Want to know what exactly health insurance reform is and how South Asian community members could be affected? Check out two SAALT resources that break down "What You Need to Know About the Health Insurance Reform" and "Health Issues Affecting South Asians in the United States."

Are you a Health Care Professional who can write an Op-ed in Support of Health Insurance Reform?  South Asian doctors, nurses, and medical professionals can lend a powerful voice in support of health insurance reform. Contact SAALT at saalt@saalt.org if you are interested in developing a piece.

Want to know what is in proposed legislation and where it is in Congress?

Check out the Kaiser Family Foundation's tools that summarize and compare pending legislation. Below is a brief rundown about the status of where the various bills are in the legislative process.

• House of Representatives: Three House committees have written separate reform bills that have been combined to create the America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (H.R. 3200). This bill is expected to be debated and voted upon by the House in September. In addition, the Congressional Asian Pacific American, Black, and Hispanic Caucuses have also introduced the Health Equity and Accountability Act (H.R. 3090) that addresses health disparities in minority communities. 

• Senate:Two committees (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, or HELP; and Finance) committees have written separate reform bills. The Finance Committee bill is currently being voted upon by the committee. Once both committees have finalized their versions, they will be combined, debated and voted on by the full Senate.

Want to know how you can weigh in during the debate? There are a few simple ways community members can get involved.

• Let the House Energy and Commerce Committee Know You Oppose Anti-Immigrant Amendments: The House and Commerce committee is currenlty debating its version of health insurance reform. Congressman Deal of Georgia has introduced an amendment that would require legal immigrants to wait five years before being able to participate in the health insurance exchange and impose citizenship documentation requirements for immigrants seeking subsidies. If your Representative is on this committee, contact them and let them know you OPPOSE the Deal Amendment to H.R. 3200. (Click here and go to "My Elected Officials" in the left sidebar to find out who your member of Congress is. Click here to find out if they sit on this committee.)

• Let the Senate Finance Committee Know Your Position on Debated Amendments: The Senate Finance Committee is currently debating and amending its long-awaited health insurance reform bill. Various amendments could have a significant impact on immigrants' access to health coverage. If one of your Senators on the Senate Finance Committee, let them where you stand on the following amendments. (Click here to find out if your Senator is on the Committee.) 

OPPOSE

• Ensign Amendment #C1: Forces legal immigrants to wait five years or longer before obtaining affordable health coverage.

• Ensign Amendment #C3: Creates additional barriers to healthcare care for legal immigrants.

• Grassley Amendment #C8: Prevents U.S. citizens and legal immigrants from accessing Medicaid due to onerous identification requirements.

• Schumer Amendment #C11: Requires use of a biometric system to authenticate U.S. citizens who need health care through the exchange.

• Kyl Amendment #C12: Prevents legal immigrants from accessing affordable health care by adding a 5-year waiting period for tax credits.

• Kyl Amendment #C14: Prevents legal immigrants from accessing affordable health care by adding a 5-year waiting period for tax credits.

SUPPORT

• Rockefeller Amendments #C19 and #C22: Removes the 5-yr waiting period for low-income, non-pregnant legal immigrant adults in Medicaid

• Menendez Amendment #C15: Protects U.S. citizens and legal immigrants with due process protections in the SAVE system for verification.

• Menendez/Bingaman Amendment #C2: Protects mixed status families by using the existing Medicaid formula for income eligibility for tax credits. Click here for more.

·         Menendez/Rockefeller Amendment #C12: Protects access for legal immigrant children, pregnant women, and children in CHIP and Medicaid.

Muslims Widely Seen As Facing Discrimination

Eight years after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Americans see Muslims as facing more discrimination inside the U.S. than other major religious groups. Nearly six-in-ten adults (58%) say that Muslims are subject to a lot of discrimination, far more than say the same about Jews, evangelical Christians, atheists or Mormons. In fact, of all the groups asked about, only gays and lesbians are seen as facing more discrimination than Muslims, with nearly two-thirds (64%) of the public saying there is a lot of discrimination against homosexuals.

The poll also finds that two-thirds of non-Muslims (65%) say that Islam and their own faith are either very different or somewhat different, while just 17% take the view that Islam and their own religion are somewhat or very similar. But Islam is not the only religion that Americans see as mostly different from their own. When asked about faiths other than their own, six-in-ten adults say Buddhism is mostly different, with similar numbers saying the same about Mormonism (59%) and Hinduism (57%).

By a smaller margin, Americans are also inclined to view Judaism and Catholicism as somewhat or very different from their own faith (47% different vs. 35% similar for Judaism, 49% different vs. 43% similar for Catholicism). Only when asked about Protestantism do perceived similarities outweigh perceived differences, with 44% of non-Protestants in the survey saying Protestantism and their own faith are similar and 38% saying they are different.

Results from the latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, conducted Aug. 11-17 among 2,010 adults reached on both landlines and cell phones, reveal that high levels of perceived similarity with religious groups are associated with more favorable views of those groups. Those who see their own faith as similar to Catholicism, Judaism, Mormonism and Islam are significantly more likely than others to have favorable views of members of these groups.

Detailed questions about perceptions of Islam show that a plurality of the public (45%) says Islam is no more likely than other faiths to encourage violence among its believers; 38% take the opposite view, saying that Islam does encourage violence more than other faiths do. Views on this question have fluctuated in recent years, with the current findings showing that the view that Islam is connected with violence has declined since 2007, when 45% of the public said that Islam encourages violence more than other religions do.

Almost half of Americans (45%) say they personally know someone who is Muslim. Also, slim majorities of the public are able to correctly answer questions about the name Muslims use to refer to God (53%) and the name of Islam's sacred text (52%), with four-in-ten (41%) correctly answering both "Allah" and "the Koran." These results are consistent with recent years and show modest increases in Americans' familiarity with Islam compared with the months following the 9/11 attacks. Those people who know a Muslim are less likely to see Islam as encouraging of violence; similarly, those who are most familiar with Islam and Muslims are most likely to express favorable views of Muslims and to see similarities between Islam and their own religion. Continue reading the full report at pewforum.org.

Global Poll: Widespread Perception of Serious Lack of Political Tolerance

A new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll of 24 nations from around the world finds a widespread perception of a serious lack of political

tolerance. Large majorities perceive that people in their nation are not completely free to express unpopular views, that opposition parties do not get a fair chance to express their views and try to influence government decision, and that legislators have limited freedom to express views that differ from their political party.

The poll, sponsored by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and released in conjunction with International Democracy Day, also finds overwhelming support throughout the world for the principle that diversity of political expression should be allowed, and support for democracy more broadly.

WorldPublicOpinion.org conducted the poll of 21,285 respondents in 24 nations that comprise 64 percent of the world's population. This includes most of the largest nations--China, India, the United States, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia and South Africa--as well as Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Germany, Great Britain, France, Israel, Poland, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Kenya, Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, the Republic of Korea, and Palestine. The margins of error range from +/-2 to 4 percentage points. The surveys were conducted across the different nations between April 4 and June 30, 2009. Not all questions were asked in all nations.

When asked how free they think people are to express unpopular views in their country, without fear of being harassed or punished, in no nations does a majority of people say they are completely free. On average across all nations polled, just 24 percent say people in their country are completely free to express unpopular political views, 42 percent that they are somewhat free, and 30 percent that they are not very free. Read Full report

President Obama's  Eid Message 

The President released the following statement today to mark the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid-ul-Fitr:

"As Muslims in the United States and around the world complete the month of Ramadan and celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, Michelle and I would like to extend our personal greetings on this joyous occasion. Eid is a time to celebrate the completion of 30 days and nights of devotion. But even on this festive occasion, Muslims remember those less fortunate, including those impacted by poverty, hunger, conflict, and disease. Throughout the month, Muslim communities collect and distribute zakat-ul-fitr so that all Muslims are able to participate in this day of celebration. As I said in Cairo, my Administration is working to ensure that Muslims are able to fulfill their charitable obligations not just during Ramadan, but throughout the year. On behalf of the American people, we congratulate Muslims in the United States and around the world on this blessed day. Eid Mubarak."  

Viewpoint

The decade of 1979-1989 can be viewed as the turning point for Pakistan’s educational system. It was the bedrock on which militant extremism was founded, and has left in­delible imprints on the Pakistani nation. Religion was the justification given by General Zia ul-Haq to legitimize his dictatorship, as well as to consolidate his rule, which spanned more than 11 years. Coupled with geo­political and sectarian struggles, Zia’s Islamization reforms completely transformed the educational system of Pakistan. Religious schools, or madrasas, not only mushroomed, but also received official government patronage and international funding. After the So­viet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the United States prodded Afghanistan and Paki­stan to support a “holy war” or jihad against the Soviets. Arab states were asked to fund this jihad against the Communists, and also to contain the new Islamic Revolution in Iran led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Thanks to the failed educational policies of the previous regimes, Pakistan’s educational system in the late 1970s was in total collapse. Zia’s Islamization reforms, as well as the indoctrination of state institutions, instigated Islamic organizations that filled the gap by opening up madrasas in large numbers. In the first few years of General Zia ul-Haq’s rule (1979-1982), only 151 new madrasas were opened, but over the next five years nearly 1,000 of them were established.1 This was part of the strategy to mobilize muja­hidin in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Read full report

Four Reasons for Optimism in Pakistan – Imtiaz Gul

We in Pakistan constantly hear that our country is a hopeless mess, an ungovernable shamble of a state whose military and intelligence services are more or less on the side of global terrorists and local insurgents. But few observers seem to have noticed that, over the last five months or so, Pakistan has made an astonishing turnaround. In fact, it's time for cautious optimism about my country's fate.

For one thing, the militants are reeling from a series of significant blows. The dramatic capture of Muslim Khan and four other Taliban militants in a Sept. 3 military-intelligence sting operation is just the latest deadly strike against the embattled Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). It represents the third major setback for the dreaded outfit since Aug. 5, when a CIA-operated drone missile took out Baitullah Mehsud, TTP's founder and chief.

Only a few days after Mehsud's death, TTP spokesman Maulvi Muhammad Omar was captured in the Mohmand tribal region. The fate of Hakimullah Mehsud, whom the organization's shura purportedly picked as the new chief on Aug. 25, is still uncertain, with virtually no sign of him since the day he was made the ameer. Similarly, another fierce al Qaeda-aligned TTP leader, Maulvi Fazlullah, is handicapped by serious wounds and reportedly under siege -- probably counting his days as a free icon of terror. And Shah Dauran, an infamous associate of Fazlullah who used to spread terror through mobile FM radio airwaves, is now dead.

Khan, as TTP spokesman in the Swat Valley, had owned up to scores of suicide bombings against security forces and admitted attacks on dozens of girls' schools in the Swat region. Khan also claimed responsibility on behalf of the TTP for sending two suicide bombers to a weapons-manufacturing complex -- the Pakistan Ordnance Factories near Islamabad -- where about 90 people were blown into pieces in April 2008 in one of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan's recent history.

The sting operation became possible only after Kamal Khan, an old acquaintance of Muslim Khan now living in the United States, agreed to become part of the game. The strategy to capture the TTP spokesman aimed to create a facade of negotiations and trap the militants, who had been publicly vowing attacks on Pakistani government institutions.

Kamal Khan and Pakistan's Military Intelligence, a division of the Pakistani Army, moved in tandem and eventually a raid involving some six dozen commandos resulted in Muslim Khan's capture at a village called Mangalore, some 7 miles southwest of Mingora, the administrative capital of the Swat district.

"It was purely an intelligence-driven operation," a senior Army official overseeing the operation told me. "It was not a smooth affair. Six of their guards got killed in the firefight that erupted when the commandos moved in." Read full article

Fundraiser

Fundraiser for Congressman Steve Israel  Sep 30th in Washington DC

Pls attend a fundraiser for Congressman Steve Israel (D-NY) Member, House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on State/Foreign Operations, Subcommittee on Energy and Water, Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, Select Intelligence Oversight Panel, DCCC Recruitment Chair on

Wednesday, September 30, 2009  6:30 PM

At the Home of Mark and Judy Siegel, 2134 LeRoy Place, NW, Washington, DC 20008 (202) 758-0264

Endorsement

PAKPAC endorses historic election bid by a Pakistani-American in New York City

Salim Ejaz is competing for the Comptroller’s position in New York City in the upcoming general election in November as an independent candidate.  It is the second most powerful position in New York City and is the first ever such bid by a Muslim or a South Asian.  Salim has the strongest candidacy: he is the only CPA running, has 40 years of financial expertise and while working for a multi-billion dollar government entity, he saved the taxpayers several hundred million dollars. 

A success by a Muslim, in this case a Pakistani-American, will bring immeasurable benefits to not just the 800,000 Muslims living in the 5 boroughs of New York City, but to all the Muslims in the entire USA. It will be a very significant political achievement.  Win or lose, it is a major milestone for Pakistani Americans and we should support him.

Residents of New York are urged to vote for him.  With the elections just around the corner, immediate funding help is needed. Contributions are welcome from all over the USA and they can be easily made through his website: www.salejaz.com. 

Spotlight

MEHMOOD KHAN  Chief Scientific Officer  PepsiCo

Mehmood Khan is Chief Scientific Officer for PepsiCo reporting to the CEO & Chair of PepsiCo. His primary responsibility is to guide the company's long-term research strategy and agenda for business opportunities. He provides global leadership for all PepsiCo divisions in the areas of R&D including:  next generation technologies, nutritional standards, food safety and regulation, and quality assurance.

Before coming to PepsiCo in 2007, Mehmood served as President, Takeda Pharmaceuticals Global Research and Development Center. He built the company's U.S. Medical Affairs and Global Medical Affairs functions, and helped develop the strong, scientific basis for launching the company's major products as President of U.S. and European drug development.

As an M.D. with specialties in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, Mehmood has extensive academic and clinical experience. He also served at the Mayo Clinic until 2003 as the Director of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition Clinical Trial Unit and Consultant Physician in Endocrinology. Mehmood spent six years with the Department of Food, Sciences and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota. He also served as division chief of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Nutrition at one of the main teaching hospitals of the University of Minnesota Medical School.

Mehmood earned his medical degree from the University of Liverpool Medical School, England, and completed a fellowship in clinical endocrinology in the Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.  He is a member of the Royal College of Physicians (London) and a Fellow of the American College of Endocrinology.  He also has served on numerous state and national committees including the American Diabetes Association, and the National Institutes of Health. Additionally, he held several visiting professorships and has published extensively.  He currently serves as a member of the Board of Governors, New York Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Khan is based in Purchase, New York.

Events & Activities

PAKPAC Event on Capital Hill on Oct 20th

Pakistan American Public Affairs Committee is organizing a two day event United States and Pakistan Enhanced Partnership - Role of the Pakistani American Community on Oct 19^th and 20^th in Washington DC.

Objectives of the event are:

·         Inform US Administration Officials and Legislators about the work of Pakistan focused NGO’s, and to secure funding from USAID for NGO’s operations

·         Highlight to US Administration Officials and Legislators specific needed projects in Pakistan

·         Meet and discuss with US legislators current US-Pakistan relations, with particular attention to US economic assistance to Pakistan

·         Apprise US Administration agencies like Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Sate Department, FBI, USCIS, TSA and others about the issues faced by Pakistani American Community in USA

Request for Proposal: PAKPAC is requesting from Pakistan focused Non Profit Organizations to submit their proposal  to: PakAmProjects@pakpac.net. These NGO’s must have demonstrable history of operations in Pakistan and are registered as 501 C3 organization in USA. In your submission please include

Name of Project
Focus of Project, specific community, location, or field

How it meets the needs of people of Pakistan
Current NGO achievements
NGO’s Future goals and expectations

Selected NGO’s will be requested to make a 5 minute audio visual presentation of their operation and needs in Pakistan, followed by a short Q & A .For more info about this event please contact   ed@pakpac.net or 202-558-6404

PROGRAM:

PAKISTANI AMERICAN PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE (PAKPAC)

 United States and Pakistan Enhanced Partnership
Role of the Pakistani American Community

October, 19^th to 20^th, 2009

Pre Registration Required

Monday October 19^th, 2009

6:00 PM – 10 PM

Washington DC

Pre Register through this link

 6:00 PM - PAKPAC Board Meeting (Board of Directors only)

7:45 PM Dinner (Pre registered guests only)

8:00 PM:  Dinner with Chief Guest: Senator Chris Dodd (Invited)

Tuesday, October 20^th, 2009

8:30 AM – 4:30 PM

Rayburn House office Building Room 2247
Washington DC

Pre Register through this link

SESSION I

8:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Presenting Pakistani American Community Supported Projects in Pakistan

Audience for this session: Officials from  State Department; USAID;  Office of Ambassador Holbrooke; US Legislators and their Staffers; and Representatives of House and Senate Committees. Ambassador Holbrooke, Ambassador Robyn Raphel, Mr. James Beaver (To be confirmed)

SESSION II

11:30 AM - 2:30 PM

Lunch and Community Meetings with Legislators

Speeches by the US Legislators followed by Q &A.

Speeches by Invited Dignitaries

 We request that the community members join in invite their respective legislators to this session: Use Invitation Letter:

SESSION III

2:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Pakistani American Community Meeting with the US Agencies: Separating Perceptions from Realities

Audience for this session: Pakistani American Community, Members of the State Department, various US agencies including TSA, FBI, DHS, DOJ, and other policy makers representatives

State Department Iftar attended by PAKPAC BOD

The Pakistani-American affairs committees’ board of director, Mr. Shahid Tahir and Rafat Mahmood, joined other community members in Iftar hosted by Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton.

This Iftar was attended by various Ambassadors, community leaders and representatives of community organizations.  Mr. Shahid Tahir during this meeting was able to have discussions with some of the ambassadors, as well as, with Ambassador Holbrooke on Pakistan’s specific plans.

Immigration

SECRETARY NAPOLITANO AND USCIS DIRECTOR MAYORKAS LAUNCH REDESIGNED USCIS WEBSITE

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas and Federal Chief Performance Officer Jeff Zients today launched a redesigned USCIS website—available in English and Spanish—a major effort which fulfills President Obama’s pledge to offer enhanced navigation tools for the public to access immigration information and review case status. PAKPAC Executive Director Irfan Malik attended the website unveiling ceremony.

“Transparency and openness are critical to effective immigration and citizenship policies,” said Secretary Napolitano. “USCIS’ new website provides the public with the latest tools—from text messages to emails—to improve responsiveness and access to immigration services.”

“The redesigned website we are launching today reflects our commitment to listening to the public and creating a better experience for the hundreds of thousands of USCIS customers we serve,” said USCIS Director Mayorkas. “This effort is the first step toward creating a more innovative, customer-centric experience that meets the nation’s citizenship and immigration needs.”

Secretary Napolitano and Director Mayorkas made the announcement at a press conference at USCIS Headquarters, highlighting the Obama administration’s commitment to achieving government accessibility and transparency using online and new media tools.

The new USCIS website provides a one-stop location for immigration services and information—including an innovative service called My Case Status, which allows immigration customers to receive alerts on the status of their applications via text message and e-mail.

Other new features include a Where to Start tool to guide users through the navigation process; a simplified way to track individual case status; local and national case processing times; an improved search engine; and a new Information Dashboard feature allowing users to access national immigration trends associated with immigration petitions and applications.

Visit the new sites at www.uscis.gov and www.uscis.gov/espanol.

PAKPAC and 40 other Organizations Send Letter to DHS Inspector General Calling for NSEERS Audit

More  than 40 organizations, including PAKPAC, submitted a letter to Richard L. Skinner, US Department of Homeland Security Inspector General (DHS IG), requesting an audit of the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS). The letter calls for DHS IG to make findings on the effectiveness of NSEERS, the costs incurred with implementing the program, the relationship between NSEERS and the United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program, the use of NSEERS in Operation Frontline , the impact of NSEERS non-compliance on individuals and families, and the adequacy of notice surrounding the program.

The impact of NSEERS on the Arab-American, South Asian-American and Muslim-American communities endures. As documented in the report issued by ADC and the Center for Immigrants' Rights at Penn State University Dickinson School of Law, "NSEERS: The Consequences of America's efforts to Secure Its Borders." (March, 2009) , "[w]ell-intentioned individuals who failed to comply with NSEERS due to a lack of knowledge or fear have been denied "adjustment of status" (green cards), and in some cases have been placed in removal proceedings under the premise that they "willfully" failed to register. This scenario has torn apart families because of the real implications of having a parent or spouse without a legal status."

The letter to the DHS IG was signed by a wide range of local, state and national organizations, including community-based groups, faith-based organizations.

A blog has been setup at http://www.endnseers.blogspot.com/  to share NSEERS stories. This blog will feature stories and current developments on the government’s special registration program, and immigration policies that treat people differently based on race, religion, ethnicity, or political association. The goal is to educate the public about a little known program that continues to impact thousands of individuals and their families and motivate the government to reject programs that target foreign nationals for immigration enforcement on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, or political association.

Civil Liberties

South Asians Organize Civil Rights Event

Pakistani-American public affairs committee, President Dr. Saud Anwar attended an event on Civil Rights hosted by GOPIO, Global Organization of People of Indian Origin.  At this meeting along with the various leaders from Indian-American community including the International Director for GOPIO was present along with the leadership of the Connecticut chapter of GOPIO.  At this meeting, various agents of Federal Bureau of Investigations were also present, where discussion about civil right related challenges was held. Many Sikh American community members also joined in as well.

Dr. Anwar shared with the community members about the importance of working with the local law enforcement agencies and shared some examples where the Pakistani-American community was able to deal with some civil right challenges in Connecticut.

In the meeting, a discussion was held about the importance of all communities including the Pakistani-Americans, Indian-Americans and other groups need to work together and join hands to protect each others’ and collective American civil rights.  Discussion was held and plans were discussed about opportunities to develop collaboration with in the Indian-American and the Pakistani-American community, which would serve as a model for other communities to follow by uniting with each other on areas of common concern and future of our children in United States. This model may serve as a basis to work together and hopefully strengthen peace efforts that may go from the United States between these two communities all the way back to the home countries so that increased harmony in the region can be established as a goal. 

Dr. Anwar encouraged all other community members across the United States of Pakistani heritage to join in and work together with other South Asian communities, who are affected directly or indirectly by the current civil rights challenges.

Religious Freedom

Interfaith Meeting with White House Executive

The Pakistani-American Public Affairs Committee President Dr. Saud Anwar attended a meeting in Hartford, Connecticut, which was hosting Joshua Dubois, the head of the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships of the Executive Office of the President of United States, President Barack Obama.  Mr. Dubois has Master’s degree in International Affairs from Princeton and is currently serving at this important position.

 At the meeting where many of the interfaith community members were present, Dr. Anwar was one of the only Muslims at the meeting.  The Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships has four areas of focus including: 
(1) The nonprofit role in the office of faith-based initiatives and opportunities for strengthening the Unites States society. 
(2) Second part is of responsible fatherhood, especially in certain communities. 
(3) Identifying a common ground of the differences that exists between the various faith communities on the issue of abortion. 
(4) The fourth was on interfaith dialogue within the various faith communities.

At this meeting, Congressman John Larson was also present along with community leaders and many people working on faith-based initiatives.

Dr. Anwar through PAKPAC is recommending that the Muslim community needs to be involved within the faith-based initiatives, and try and identify various opportunities and grants where the faith-based groups may be able to get grants to strengthen the larger American society.

Moving Up

President Obama Nominates Dr. Islam Siddiqui as Chief Agricultural Negotiator

PAKPAC welcomes announcement by President Barack Obama nominating Dr. Islam A. Siddiqui as the Chief Agricultural Negotiator, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

Islam A. Siddiqui is currently Vice President for Science and Regulatory Affairs at CropLife America , where he is responsible for regulatory and international trade issues related to crop protection chemicals. Previously, Dr. Siddiqui also served as CropLife America ’s Vice President for agricultural biotechnology and trade. From 1997 to 2001, Dr. Siddiqui served in various capacities in the Clinton Administration at U.S. Department of Agriculture as Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, Senior Trade Advisor to Secretary Dan Glickman and Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs.  As a result, he worked closely with the USTR and represented USDA in bilateral, regional and multi-lateral agricultural trade negotiations.  Since 2004, Dr. Siddiqui has also served on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, and Health/Science Products & Services, which advises the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and USTR on international trade issues related to these sectors. Between 2001 and 2003, Dr. Siddiqui was appointed as Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where he focused on agricultural biotechnology and food security issues.  Before joining USDA, Dr. Siddiqui spent 28 years with the California Department of Food and Agriculture.  He received a B.S. degree in plant protection from Uttar Pradesh Agricultural University in Pantnagar , India , as well as M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in plant pathology, both from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.

We extend our congratulations and best wishes to  Dr. Islam Siddiqui.

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