>Interfaith leaders to join in breaking of the fast, feeding homeless
>
>(WASHINGTON, DC - 10/28/2003)-The Muslim American Society\'s Freedom
>Foundation* (MAS Freedom), along with other Islamic, interfaith, and
>civic groups, today held a press conference in the nation\'s capital to
>express disappointment with the Bush administration\'s lack of
>substantive dialogue with the Muslim-American community. Speakers
>announced plans for Muslim and non-Muslim leaders and activists to
>have an Iftar (breaking of the fast) in Lafayette Park across the
>street from the White House to celebrate Ramadan. Upon breaking their
>fast and offering evening prayers, the group will distribute food to
>the homeless in the spirit of the holy month.
>
>The Iftar, which will begin shortly after 5 pm today, will coincide
>with a White House Iftar ceremony hosted by President Bush. Most of
>the nation\'s Muslim leaders have either turned down their invitation
>to attend the White House gathering, or were simply not invited at
>all.
>
>\"It seems that the only time this administration wants to meet with us
>is for photo opportunities, not to hear our concerns about policies
>here at home and abroad,\" said Mahdi Bray, executive director of MAS
>Freedom. \"How can they claim to have good relations with our
>community when they don\'t even have dialogue with its leadership?\"
>
>Bray pointed out specific concerns that the Muslim-American community
>would like the President to address: the refusal to reassign Lt. Gen.
>William Boykin after he made disparaging comments about Islam; the
>recess appointment of Daniel Pipes to the U.S. Institute of Peace; the
>administration\'s foreign policy; the erosion of civil liberties as a
>result of the USA PATRIOT Act; the unwarranted detention of
>thousands of Muslims; and the seizure of Islamic charitable assets.
>
>Other speakers at the event were Khalid Turaani, executive director of
>American Muslims for Jerusalem, Ismail Kamal of the Muslim Students\'
>Association of the U.S. and Canada, former congressman Rev. Walter
>Fauntroy of the Civil Rights Leadership Roundtable, Joseph Groves of
>the Fellowship of Reconciliation, and Claudia Brown of the All Souls
>Unitarian Universalist Church. Also, a statement was read on behalf
>of Najee Ali of Project Islamic H.O.P.E.