SETBACK FOR NOMINATION OF DANIEL PIPES

[Muslimah]

In the Name of Allah: Most Gracious, Most Merciful!

MUSLIM AMERICAN SOCIETY (MAS)UPDATES

SETBACK FOR NOMINATION OF DANIEL PIPES TO U.S. INSTITUTE OF PEACE

Senators say Pipes is "wrong man" for the job

(Washington, DC - 7/23/2003)--The Muslim American Society's Freedom

Foundation (MAS Freedom) reacted with cautious optimism today as the Senate

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee postponed a vote on the

nomination of Daniel Pipes to the U.S. Institute of Peace after members of

the committee showed strong objections to Islamaphobic and inflamitory

remarks and writings attributed to Pipes.

Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), the ranking Democrat on the committee, led

the charge against the Pipes nomination stating that the objectives of the

Institute of Peace would not be served well by Pipes. "Surely we can find

someone better to serve on the U.S. Institute of Peace," said Kennedy.

Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) concurred with Kennedy's position on the

nomination, and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) gave his colleagues a detailed

history lesson on the disturbing views and activities of Daniel Pipes,

including his "Campus Watch" website, which targets academics whose views on

the Middle East Pipes disagrees with.

Karkin seemed particularly upset when discussing Pipes' hostile views

towards Muslim immigrants and the "threat" that Muslim pose by their

enfranchisement. "It is clear to me that Mr Pipes is highly

controversial...this is the last place where we need a lighting rod...I

don't know why we are considering this man for the Institute of Peace," said

Harkin.

The chairman of the committee, Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) decided to postpone

the vote on the nomination due to the lack of a quorom-the minimum number of

senators needed in order to take a vote, and at the urging of committee

members who felt that not enough discussion had taken place about the

nomination.

Today's postponement comes off the heels of a National Call-In day

coordination between various Muslim, Arab, and other religous and civic

organizations whereby members of these organizations were urged to call the

senators on the committee and ask them to block the Pipes nomination.

MAS Freedom cautions that although the committee postponed the vote on Pipes

nomination, there still is a possibility that the committee will vote in

favor of Pipes and send the nomination to the full Senate for confirmation.

If a majority of senators present vote in favor of the nomination, then

Pipes will be officially confirmed as a member of the board of directors of

the U.S. Institute of Peace.

Therefore Muslim-Americans, and all other people of conscience, must

continue to lobby the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee to

vote down the nomination of Daniel Pipes.

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MAS Freedom Foundation

1050 17th Street #600

Washington, DC 20036

Phone: 202-496-1288