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"Washington Notes" is MPAC's weekly round-up of Washington, DC news and events that impact the American Muslim community. By highlighting Congressional hearings and policy forums, MPAC connects you directly with the Senate, House of Representatives, think-tanks, organizations, and federal agencies. We monitor important conversations on Islam and Muslims in order to enhance the role of American Muslims in the future of our nation. We invite you to do the same...
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June 29, 2006
HEARING: "Somalia: Expanding Crisis in the Horn of Africa"
Committee on International Relations
Chairman: Christopher Smith
"Our failure since 1991 to create a successful Somalia policy must not be continued. In October 1993, two American helicopters were shot down and 18 Army Rangers were killed in 17 hours of intense fighting in the Somali capital. The sight of American servicemen dragged through the streets of the capital seemed to diminish the national will to intervene in Somalia. Yet the expanding crisis in Somalia and its potentially disastrous impact on the Horn of Africa requires that we rethink our approach on these matters." - Christopher Smith
SEE: Congressman Smith's Testimony (House, 6/29/06)
June 30, 2006
HEARING: "The Plight of Religious Minorities: Can Religious Pluralism Survive?"
Committee on International Relations
Chairman: Henry Hyde
"The plight and security of Christians in the Holy Land is complex and nuanced. There are historical, current and future obstacles that threaten the survival of their community. A community not able to survive in the land of its origin would be a historical injustice. We must do all we can to preserve the indigenous Christian community in the Holy Land. My concerns have emphasized the current reality that this dwindling community faces. Ignoring the present challenges only adds fuel to the fire and accelerates the arrival of long-term concerns that are more difficult to resolve.
"Palestinian Christians are increasingly finding themselves caught in the middle of a bipolar situation between Islamic and Jewish extremism. It is this divide that is undermining the pluralistic character of Palestinian society... The Department of State's Annual Report on International Religious Freedom documents the destabilizing impact which the construction of the separation barrier in Jerusalem is having on its inhabitants. Local Christians view the barrier as something that is seriously damaging religious freedom in the Holy Land, impeding their access to important holy sites, and tearing at the social fabric of Christian life by destroying the important linkages between Jerusalem and Bethlehem." - Chairman Henry J. Hyde
SEE: Statement of Chairman Henry J. Hyde (Committee on International Relations, 6/30/06)
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June 29, 2006
RICE CALLS FOR ISRAELI 'RESTRAINT'
"As concerns the current situation and the current crisis, we also had a discussion of that. That is detailed in the statement that has been released by the parties here. Let me just say that this crisis, of course, just underscores the need to have all parties, all Palestinian parties, work for an end to terrorist activities. We also called on the Palestinian Government and other parties to secure the release of the Israeli soldier. And we are asking Israel to exercise restraint in this circumstance because with restraint perhaps we can get back to a place where there can be hopes again for a peace process.
"This began as a terrorist act but we do recognize that it is important to protect civilians so that they do not suffer as a matter of this current crisis, and it is extremely important that every party act responsibly so that the possibilities for peace will be preserved." - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
SEE: Remarks With Foreign Ministers at the G-8 Ministerial (State Dept., 6/29/06)
June 26, 2006
AMERICAN & ARAB LEADERS AS AGENTS OF CHANGE
U.S.-Arab Economic Forum, Houston, Texas
"I'm here to talk about the unique responsibility of the leaders in this room, American leaders and Arab leaders, each of you as an agent of change. You are the decision-makers and investors who will really shape and write the answer to what U.S.-Arab relations look like in the year 2020. And the answer to this question of 2020 presents two competing visions: One grim at two opposite ends of the spectrum. One is quite grim-- increasing hostility, strife, isolation and violence, a world of increasing fear and ignorance which would limit opportunities for all of our peoples. The other vision of 2020 is decidedly hopeful and involves mutual respect, greater economic and social integration, partnership and broader opportunities for more and more people. This future embraces all that our societies have to offer men, women and young power and empowers all voices to participate. This hopeful vision can become the reality of the year 2020 if we work together to bring it about and choose a path of openness: open economies, open minds, open opportunities and open dialogue.
"Islam is a part of America. As an American government official, I represent almost seven million American Muslims who live and work and practice their faith freely here in our country. Together we must undermine the extremists by providing platforms for debate, by empowering mainstream voices of tolerance and inclusion, and by demonstrating our respect for Muslim cultures and contributions to our society and to world society. We can also undermine the extremists by building a world of greater opportunities." - Undersecretary of State Karen Hughes
SEE: American and Arab Leaders as Agents of Change (US-Arab Economic Forum, 6/26/06)
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June 29, 2006
SUPREME COURT REBUKES PRESIDENT FOR MILITARY TRIBUNALS
"For five years, President Bush waged war as he saw fit. If intelligence officers needed to eavesdrop on overseas telephone calls without warrants, he authorized it. If the military wanted to hold terrorism suspects without trial, he let it. Now the Supreme Court has struck at the core of his presidency and dismissed the notion that the president alone can determine how to defend the country. In rejecting Bush's military tribunals for terrorism suspects, the high court ruled that even a wartime commander in chief must govern within constitutional confines significantly tighter than this president has believed appropriate.
"For many in Washington, the decision echoed not simply as a matter of law but as a rebuke of a governing philosophy of a leader who at repeated turns has operated on the principle that it is better to act than to ask permission. This ethos is why many supporters find Bush an inspiring leader, and why many critics in this country and abroad react so viscerally against him." - Washington Post
SEE: "A Governing Philosophy Rebuffed" (Washington Post, 6/30/06)
SEE ALSO: "MPAC Commends Supreme Court Ruling on Gitmo Tribunals" (MPAC, 6/29/06)
"To the extent that there is latitude to work with the Congress to determine whether or not the military tribunals will be an avenue in which to give people their day in court, we will do so. The American people need to know that this ruling, as I understand it, won't cause killers to be put out on the street...
"And one thing I'm not going to do, though, is I'm not going to jeopardize the safety of the American people. People got to understand that. I understand we're in a war on terror, that these people were picked up off of a battlefield, and I will protect the people and at the same time conform with the findings of the Supreme Court." - President Bush
SEE: Transcript of President's Press Conference With Japanese Prime Minister (Washington Post, 6/29/06)
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June 29, 2006
WORLD LEADERS RESPOND TO ISRAELI INVASION OF GAZA
Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary General
Of course it is understandable that they [the Israelis] would want to go after those who kidnapped their soldier but it has to be done in such a way that civilian populations are not made to suffer...
We need to be very careful, not only not to escalate, but not to expand the area of conflict.
G8 foreign ministers' statement
We call on Israel to exercise utmost restraint in the current crisis.
The detention of elected members of the Palestinian government and legislature raises particular concerns.
Mikhail Kamynin, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson
The right and duty of the government of Israel to defend the lives and security of its citizens are beyond doubt.
But this should not be done at the cost of the lives of many lives and many Palestinian civilians, by massive military strikes with heavy consequences for the civilian population.
Pope Benedict XVI
I pray that every person kidnapped be quickly returned to their loved ones.
I call on Israeli and Palestinian leaders so that, with the generous contribution of the international community, they responsibly seek the negotiated settlement of the conflict which alone can assure the peace sought by their people.
European Union ambassadors' statement
The EU remains deeply concerned about the worsening security and humanitarian developments.
SEE: "In quotes: Reaction to Israel tension" (BBC, 6/30/06)
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June 29, 2006
NATIONAL GROUPS CONDEMN ISRAELI INVASION OF GAZA
"Deliberate attacks by Israeli forces against civilian property and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip violate international humanitarian law and constitute war crimes, Amnesty International said today.
"Israel must now take urgent measures to remedy the long-term damage it has caused and immediately restore the supply -- at its own cost -- of electricity and water to the Palestinian population in the affected areas," urged the organization. "As the occupying power, Israel is bound under international law to protect and safeguard the basic human rights of the Palestinian population."
SEE: "Israel/Occupied Territories: Deliberate attacks a war crime" (Amnesty International, 6/30/06)
"Will Israel never learn? The use of disproportionate power in acts of collective punishment that display callous disregard for the suffering of hundreds of thousands of innocents will never create peace," Zogby said. "While the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier remains of deep concern, instead of allowing for Arab interlocutors and the Palestinian presidency to bring about a resolution of this situation, Israel's strike on Gaza's infrastructure has only played into the hands of the extremist group that sought such a response in the first place." - Jim Zogby, Arab American Institute President
SEE ALSO: "AAI Condemns Israeli Offensive: Use of Collective Punishment Exacerbates Humanitarian Crisis" (AAI, 6/29/06)
SEE ALSO: "U.S. Must Step in to End Israeli Assault on Gaza" (MPAC, 6/29/06)
SEE ALSO: "Targeting of Gaza Infrastructure a 'War Crime'" (CAIR, 6/29/06)
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