CAIR-LA: FILMMAKER PRAISES ASPIRING MUSLIM SCREENWRITERS’ ‘PASSION AND ENTHUSIASM’ - TOP (LOS ANGELES, CA, 8/13/09) - The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today said its “Writing for Hollywood” seminar for aspiring Muslim screenwriters held Tuesday in Los Angeles was a “tremendous success.” The seminar featured filmmaker and writer Jeffrey Nachmanoff, who wrote and directed “Traitor” in 2008 and wrote the screenplay for the 2004 blockbuster “The Day After Tomorrow.” Addressing some 20 aspiring Muslim screenwriters and filmmakers, Nachmanoff said that everyone has a good story to tell and that Muslims, like other minorities, should engage Hollywood at all levels to promote more realistic portrayals of their community. "It is always inspiring to speak to young writers from diverse backgrounds and to hear the passion and enthusiasm they have for storytelling,” said Nachmanoff of Tuesday’s seminar. Last August, CAIR-Los Angeles co-hosted a community screening of “Traitor” in conjunction with Nachmanoff. More than 100 people attended that screening. Tuesday’s event, held at the Media Shop - a production company in Los Angeles - inspired many participants to use their creative writing abilities to positively impact the broader society. One of the participants, Nida Chowdhry, said: “The CAIR screenwriting seminar was awesome! Jeffrey Nachmanoff was so insightful and inspirational for young Muslims who are interested in the film and media industry. The workshop provided realistic advice about Hollywood, and it was a great opportunity to network with other Muslims who are also aspiring to do what they love and bring something positive to the industry along the way.” The seminar is part of CAIR’s efforts to build positive relations between Hollywood and the American Muslim community. SEE: CAIR-LA, FOX Co-Host ‘Hollywood 101’ Workshop ALSO SEE: CAIR-LA: ‘A Mighty Heart’ Screening a Success “The tremendous success of Tuesday’s event shows that American Muslims are artists, writers and great storytellers,” said CAIR-LA Communications Manager Munira Syeda. “We must nurture the talent among our youth and share our story of hope and hard work with the rest of America.” CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding. CONTACT: Munira Syeda, CAIR-LA Communications Manager, 714-776-1847 or e-mail: info@losangeles.cair.com ----- CAIR-CA HOSTS MUSLIM YOUTH LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE AT STATE CAPITOL - TOP 5th annual event designed to promote social, political awareness and activism (SACRAMENTO, CA, 8/13/09) - Beginning today, the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA) will hold its fifth annual Muslim Youth Leadership Program in Sacramento. WHEN: Thursday, August 13 - Sunday, August 16, 2009 WHERE: State Capitol, Sacramento, California The conference will feature workshops on community organizing and advocacy, public speaking and media activism. A highlight of the conference will be a “Mock Legislature” session, during which participants will serve as legislators as they debate public policy issues and prepare bills to be presented on the floor of the State Senate. “The purpose of this leadership program is to provide Muslim youth with the necessary leadership skills and mentorship, not only to become politically and civically engaged, but also to help them pursue professions that will positively impact the broader society,” said CAIR-CA Chairman Masoud Nassimi. In the past four years, 140 young people from California participated in the Muslim youth leadership program and have moved on to become contributing members of society. One of them is Noor Ahmed, who attended MYLP in 2005 and is currently a pre-med student at University of California, Los Angeles. Noor also is a volunteer project director at the UMMA Community Clinic in South Central Los Angeles. “As a Muslim American, I feel that it is our duty to be at the forefront of volunteer efforts and fulfill our obligations to humanity. I believe that we can only begin to appreciate what we have been given, when we look at those who are less fortunate than us. MYLP opened my eyes up to the responsibility that Muslim Americans have towards correcting the image of Muslims and Islam in this country and abroad.” Only 35 spaces were available to eligible juniors and seniors in high school all across California, but an additional 5 students have been accommodated, bringing the total number of participants this year to 40. CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding. CONTACT: Sacramento Valley- Basim Elkarra, (916) 441-6269, ext. 101#, E-Mail: info@sacval.cair.com, San Francisco Bay Area- San Rydhan, (408) 986-9874, E-Mail: info@sfba.cair.com, Southern California - Munira Syeda, (714) 776-1847, (714) 851-4851, E-Mail: info@losangeles.cair.com ----- CAIR-NY: MUSLIMS PRESS PUBLIC SCHOOLS ON ISLAMIC HOLIDAYS - TOP Omar Sacirbey, Religion News Service, 8/12/09 Calculus and chemistry are among the pressures awaiting Mesuka Akter, a senior this year at Long Island City High School in New York City. But unlike past school years, Akter, a Muslim, will not have to choose between missing school and missing the two holiest days on the Islamic calendar. Provided an early or late moon does not change the Islamic lunar calendar, Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, is expected to take place Sept. 20. Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, is expected to come on Thanksgiving Day or the Friday after. "It feels great to know that I'll be home, hopefully, with my family," said Akter, who has two younger brothers. "But you also have to keep working to change things, because this will be a problem again next year." Akter belongs to the Coalition for Muslim School Holidays, a group of more than 80 religious and ethnic organizations lobbying to have the two Eid holidays designated as days off in New York City schools, in which 10 percent of the 1.1 million students are Muslim, according to a study published last year by the Teachers College at Columbia University. The city's school calendar already recognizes Christmas and the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur… "Giving days off for the Eids does not mean fewer days in school,"said Faiza Ali, a spokeswoman for the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. (More) ----- FBI PROFILING OF MUSLIMS ON THE RISE, SAYS LAW CAUCUS - TOP Sunita Sohrabji, India West, 8/13/098 SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. Muslim Americans are being increasingly targeted for unwarranted house searches and questioning, said Veena Dubal, staff attorney of the Asian Law Caucus, during a brown-bag seminar at the organization’s headquarters here Aug. 5. Last October — in the waning days of the Bush administration — FBI director Robert Mueller signed new guidelines allowing broader FBI authority in pursuing potential threats to national security. The new guidelines allow agents to consider race or ethnicity in determining whether someone is a suspect. These guidelines which became effective Dec. 1, 2008 — allow the FBI to launch a criminal investigation against someone without any factual predicate and without approval from FBI headquarters, said Dubal. “Under the current guidelines, FBI agents are allowed to racially profile an individual if it is determined to be in the nation’s national interests,” she said, adding that the guidelines may also be used ambiguously to “prevent conduct.” (More)