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Contemporary Legal Threats and Opportunities Facing American Muslims

UC Irvine School of Law and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) are hosting a symposium on contemporary legal threats and opportunities facing American Muslim communities.

The current climate of anti-Muslim sentiment and anti-Muslim policies causes American Muslims to face political isolation, economic disadvantages, and discrimination. Excluding American Muslims from political and civic processes hurts not only Muslims, but also the country as a whole. The absence of the full involvement of American Muslims shortchanges the United States from living up to its potential as a country that cherishes freedom, justice, and equality.

This symposium will bring together experts in law, local government, civil society, and communications to identify contemporary challenges facing the American Muslim community and to develop legal and political strategies on how to respond to them.

Registration is required. 

REGISTER HERE >

Schedule

8:30 a.m. Opening and Keynote Address

• California Attorney General,The Honorable Xavier Becerra
• Salam Al-Marayati, MPAC President
• L. Song Richardson, Interim Dean, UCI Law

10:00 a.m. Panel Discussion
Survey of Legal Threats and Opportunities Facing American Muslims

• Seema Ahmad, Deputy Federal Public Defender (moderator)
• Ahilan Arulanantham, Legal Director, ACLU of Southern California
• Johnathan Smith, Legal Director, Muslim Advocates
• Haroon Azar, Program Director, Initiative on Security and Religious Freedom, UCLA
• Shafiqa Ahmadi, Professor, USC Education & USC Law
• Azam Nizamuddin, General Counsel, North American Islamic Trust (NAIT)