Press Conference: Standing Shoulder to Shoulder Against Bigotry on the Campaign Trail The two day forum began with an interfaith press conference at the National Press Club moderated by ISNA Vice President Dr. Altaf Husain. The press conference featured prominent national Muslim leaders including Azhar Azeez, the president of ISNA; Imam Mohamed Maged, executive religious director of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS center); Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, Chairman of Fiqh Council of North America, who reissued the 2005 Fatwa against terrorism, and Fatima Salman, ISNA Executive Council member and a Muslim community leader from Detroit who shared stories of how anti-Muslim bigotry has affected her community. Interfaith leaders who addressed the press conference included Rev. Ron Stief, chair of the executive committee of Shoulder to Shoulder; Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, former Archbishop of Washington, DC; Rabbi Jonah Pesner, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism; Rev. Dr. A. Roy Medley, president of the National Council of Churches; Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of the Foundation of Ethnic Understanding. Rev. Richard Cizik, president of the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good; Rev. Fr. Dimitrios J. Antokas, presiding priest of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George in Bethesda. The press conference called upon the Republican and Democratic parties to take a forceful stand against anti-Muslim bigotry and discrimination against all religious minorities, by adding explicit language to their party platforms at the upcoming nominating conventions. It also reaffirmed ISNA's commitment to defend the rights of religious minorities in Muslim-majority nations through efforts such as the recent Marrakesh Declaration and working closely with administrations past and present to help prevent terrorism and radicalization. ISNA Meeting with White House Senior Staff ISNA leaders met with several Senior White House Officials for a briefing to discuss religious freedom and pluralism, civil rights, national security and refugees and humanitarian efforts. The delegation from ISNA included ISNA President Azhar Azeez, ISNA Secretary General Hazem Bata, ISNA Executive Council Member Fatima Salman, ISNA Board Members Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi and Rizwan Jaka, ISNA Office of Interfaith and Community Alliances National Director Dr. Sayyid Syeed and MYNA President Sayeed Siddiqui along with several prominent Muslim community and interfaith leaders. Congressional Reception Hosted by Senator Orrin G. Hatch, US President Pro Tempore Senator Orrin G. Hatch, US President Pro Tempore, hosted a Congressional Reception at the Hart Senate Building. Several speakers addressed the reception including ISNA President Azhar Azeez, ISNA Office of Interfaith and Community Alliances National Director Dr. Sayyid Syeed, former ISNA President Imam Mohamed Maged, MYNA President Sayeed Siddiqui, Congressman Andre Carson, Minister of Social Welfare and Women's Development from Kashmir Farzana Yaqoob, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom David N. Saperstein, Islamic Relief USA President Anwar Khan and Guidance CEO Kal Elsayed. A representative from Senator Hatch's office read a message from the Senator. Intra-faith Summit and Friday Prayer at the Capitol Building ISNA hosted an intra-faith summit in which Sunni and Shi'ite leaders met to discuss community building within the Muslim community. Over two dozen leaders from the Sunni and Shi'ite communities gathered around the table to discuss how the two communities can work together harmoniously in the United States and globally. After the summit, ISNA Board Member and Chairman of the Fiqh Council of North America Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi led the Friday prayer service at the Capitol Building. Dr. Siddiqi's khutbah (sermon) was on pluralism and building a community based on pluralistic values. Celebration Banquet The two day forum concluded with a Celebration Banquet honoring Dr. John Andrew Morrow and Dr. Jim Winkler for their outstanding contributions to interfaith dialogue and initiatives. Keynote speaker Dr. John Esposito addressed the banquet along with guest speakers Eric Treene, Special Counsel for Religious Discrimination of the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, and J. Jioni Palmer, Associate Commissioner for External Affairs of the Social Security Administration. A delegation of Muslim leaders from the Tatars of Crimea gifted ISNA a beautiful portrait for their support and efforts to protect religious freedom around the world. Banquet attendees received copies of the newly published Quran with References to the Bible.

• published: 25 Apr 2016
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