Date Posted: Thursday, October 16, 2003

(Washington, D.C. - October 15, 2003) - At the 2002 MAS-ICNA convention in Chicago last December, the Freedom Foundation conducted its first Activist Training Seminar, teaching participants the fundamentals of government and politics, media relations, and coalition building. We pledged to train 1,000 Muslims from across the country within one year's time.

As we approach the 2003 MAS-ICNA convention, which will again take place in Chicago at the end of December, we are well on our way to reaching our goal.  As of the middle of October, MAS Freedom staff have trained over 800 Muslim activists. Day-long seminars have been conducted in 14 cities, and special seminars were held in the Australian cities of Sydney and Melbourne. Three seminars are scheduled for the remainder of the year in New Orleans, LA, Gaithersburg, MD, and Herndon, VA.

With the blessing of Allah, we should exceed our goal of 1,000, but we won't stop there.  Insha'Allah, we plan to continue providing Activist Training Seminars in 2004, and hopefully beyond. If you are interested in hosting a seminar in your area, please send an email to freedom@masnet.org.

Since being trained, many MAS chapters, as well as communities in general, have applied their new talents in the cities and counties where they reside.  Activists from Raleigh have joined “Campaign V.I.P.: Voting Is Power,” and registered over 700 new Muslim voters. The community held a candidates forum to decide whom to vote for in upcoming city council elections, and they succeeded in endorsing 9 candidates, of which 6 won, and two made it to run-off elections. This is just one example of the many communities around the country that have channeled their energies into something positive that will serve not only their interests, but the interests of society at large.