05-29-2003, 12:46 PM
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
..: Muslim American Society (MAS) News :..
MAS URGES MOSQUES TO SEND THEIR IMAMS TO WASHINGTON, DC CONFERENCE
Muslim leaders will learn about the political process; media
WASHINGTON, DC - The Muslim American Society (MAS) is calling on
mosques and Islamic centers to send their imams, board members, and
other leaders to participate in the American Muslim Council's (AMC)
Annual Imam's Conference in Washington, DC June 6-9th.
This event brings together leaders of local Muslim communities from
around the country to learn together and share experiences with
colleagues. The subsidized cost of the conference is $100, and that
INCLUDES: 3-night stay in at the Hilton hotel, and lunch and dinner
each day.
(Visit http://www.amconline.org/imamconf/reg.php for details)
On Monday, June 9th, MAS Freedom Foundation will take conference
participants to Capitol Hill to train them in the community-building
skills of political participation. The training is designed as an
introduction to the political process for those with little or no
prior experience.
"No leader in our community should miss this opportunity to build
crucial
outreach skills," said MAS president Dr. Souheil Ghannouchi. "In order
to be effective leaders, our imams must be able to engage government
officials on issues of concern to the community and properly represent
their faith to the media."
Participants will board a bus from their hotel at 9:00 am for a day of
activities in Congress. The imams will gather inside the Capitol to
receive practical training on how to establish relations with and
lobby elected officials. The session will be led by MAS Freedom
Foundation trainers Mahdi Bray and Raeed Tayeh. Members of Congress
have been invited to speak to the group.
After the training seminar, imams will have lunch with Muslim
congressional
staffers and other Muslim government employees. This will be an ideal
opportunity for networking and building practical knowledge of the
role of Muslims in politics.
Following lunch, imams will then visit congressional offices to
introduce themselves, the communities they represent, and the issues
they
are concerned with. (MAS will have already made appointments for imams
to
meet with their congressional offices.)
Activities will wrap up at 4:00 pm. For their convenience,
participants
should not book their return flights before 6:00 pm, and should fly
from
Reagan National Airport, the closest facility in the area and only 10
minutes from Capitol Hill and the hotel. An alternative airport is
Dulles International.
For more information or to register for the Annual Imams Conference,
please contact AMC at 703 625-5999 or 202 543-0075, or visit
http://www.amconline.org/imamconf/reg.php
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MAS needs your help to continue this important work. Online
donations may be made at http://www.masnet.org/support.htm
or send donations to MAS Freedom Foundation at 1050 17th
Street NW, Suite 600; Washington, DC 20036