MFI Activities 1996-2000

2000

• Dr. Ahmad participated in a U.S. Institute of Peace brainstorming session on Muslim resources for peace. 
• Dr. Ahmad participated in an exploratory committee meeting to establish a first class Islamic University in America. 
• We collaborated on Dr. MuhammadAbdul-awal on a handbook on Muslim positions on current issues for the U.S. Congress. 
• Dr. Ahmad was interviewed by AMC radio and by Iranian News on current events

• Dr. Ahmad participated in an Islam online interview on the American election.

• Dr. Ahmad lectured on "Building Islamic Civil Society from the Bottom Up" at the annual meeting of the American Muslim Social Scientists at Georgetown University. 
• Dr. Ahmad participated in an Islamonline interview on the American foreign policy.

• Dr. Ahmad lectured on "Basics of Islam" and on "Issues Facing Islam" at the St. George Episcopal Church in McLean, VA. 
• Dr. Ahmad and MFI Vice President Aly Abuzakouk met with Iran's President Mohammed Khatemi at the United Nations in New York. 
• Dr. Ahmad performed lectured on the recent violence against the Palestinians and performed "The Ballad of Dier Yasin" at American University. 

• MFI President Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad participated in a forum on Mental Health Issues and the Muslim Community at St. Elizabeth's hospital in Washington, DC. 

• Dr. Ahmad gave a lecture on Muslims activism at the "Journey to Salaam" conference of the Muslim Peace Fellowship.
• Dr. Ahmad gave a lecture on "Faith in Action" before the Islamic Society of Frederick.
• Dr. Ahmad gave a lecture on Religious Liberty and Secret Evidence at the Libertarian National Convention in Anaheim.  A shorter version on Secret Evidence was cablecast by C-SPAN.

• Dr. Ahmad read Qur'anic verses read at the National Cathedral Interfaith Service for Nuclear Reduction . 
• MFI operated a booth at the American Muslim Council Convention at the Crystal Sheraton in Crystal City, Virginia. 

• Prof. Azizah al-Hibri delivered a talk on "The Islamic Marriage Contract in American Courts" at our annual dinner. 

• MFI President Dr. Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad participated in a Liberty Fund Forum on "Commercial Capitalism and Civilization: The Case of Islam" 
• Dr. Ahmad gave talks on "Islam and Science" at the Islamic Center of Boston and at the Islamic Center of Toledo. 
• Dr. Ahmad participated in the United Associates for Studies and Research conference on America, Islam, and the New Millennium at Georgetown University. 
• MFI Pamphlet #1, "Female Genital Mutilation: An Islamic Perspective" is now available in bulk for $29 for 60 copies postpaid. 

• MFI President Dr. Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad spoke on "Islam and Progress: Contributions of Muslim Civilization to the Physical and Economic Sciences" at Amherst 
• MFI Pamphlet #1, "Female Genital Mutilation: An Islamic Perspective" is published. 

•  Dr. Ahmad and vice-president Aly Ramadan Abuza`kouk met with the ambassador of Chechnya and the Budget Director of the Checnyan parliament and together with representatives of a number of American Muslim organizations formed the Chechnyan Task Force. 
• Dr. Ahmad and vice-president Abuza`kouk participated in a State Dept. round table discussion on identifying the concerns of American Muslims regarding American Foreign Policy and other state department matters. 
• Dr. Ahmad spoke on "Social Consequences and Religious Implications of Three Revolutions in Twentieth Century Science" at the Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences in Leesburg, VA. 

• Dr. Ahmad participated in a day-long seminar on Muslims in the American Public Square at Georgetown University.
• Dr. Ahmad gave an introduction to "The Tenets of Islam" to the National Presbyterian Church of Washington, DC. 

1999

• MFI President Dr. Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad was interviewed by Caryl Murphy on Modesty and Modernity. 
• Dr. Ahmad was interviewed by Ejaz Akram of Islam Online on privacy in Islam. 
• Dr. Ahmad appeared on the cable television program Islamic Perspectives speaking on "The End of Time." 
• Dr. Ahmad addressed demonstrators calling for the release of Nasser Ahmad in front of the U.S. Dept. of Justice and hours later U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno released the victim of the secret evidence provisions in the Counter-terrorism Act after 3 and 1/2 years of imprisonment without charge. 
• Dr. Ahmad gave a presentation on "Using Natural Phenomena to Determine Prayer Times and New Months" at Howard University. 
• Dr. Ahmad presented an "Introduction to Islam" at Brandeis University
 

• In an interview conducted by Caryl Murphy and published in the Washington Post, Dr. Ahmad explained why the EgyptAir 990 co-pilot's prayer is an unlikely choice for a suicide. 
• Dr. Ahmad met with U.S. State Department officials to explain why Muslims have a negative perception of the government's attitude towards them and Islam.  He pointed to the contrast between the sanctions imposed on the Taliban for refusing to turn over Ossama bin Ladin and the pass given to Israelis for their refusal to turn over Samuel Sheinbein.  He also noted how the government has let the press get away with the absurd assertion that the 25-year sentence given to Sheinbein for the brutal murder and mutilation of a Maryland youth is "unusually stiff" when any Arab Israeli convicted of murder by the Israelis would surely get a life sentence. 
• Dr. Ahmad spoke at the Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences on "The Problem of the Evolutionary Paradigm" 
• Representatives of Malaysia's "Mukmin" project visited our offices to confer on establishing an Islamic internet site.

• Dr. Ahmad spoke at the Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences on "The Impact of Islamic Science on the West." 
• Dr. Ahmad gave presentations on "American Muslim Engagement in Politics" and on "Using Early Muslim Land Tax Practice to Form an Islamic Theory of Real Property" at the annual conference of the American Muslims Social Scientists in Leesburg Virginia on Oct. 29-31. 
• Sharmin Ahmad, Secretary of the Minaret of Freedom Institute and her husband Amr Abdalla, Research and Evaluation Director of the Center for the Advancement of Public Health at George Mason University, discussed issues of Islam and the American society in Bethel Church in Arlington, VA

• Sr. Sharmin Ahmad and Br. Amr Abdullah addressed the Reconstructionist Jewish Congregation on the subject of Islamic teachings during their Rosh Hoshona celebration.  In front of a gathering of more than 400 members of the congregation in the auditorium of Wheaton High School, sister Sharmin and brother Amr presented the Islamic message of love, mercy and inclusiveness of all humans.  They also emphasized the potential unified role that "God Believers" must take in addressing the society's social problems such as alcohol and drug abuse, family destruction and violence.  They quoted Ayats from the Holy Quran supporting such concepts. The congregation received their presentation with an enthusiastic standing ovation, warm greetings, handshakes and hugs, which illustrated the great need for inter-faith activities which aim is to clarify misperceptions and mistrust between believers from different religions. 
• Dr. Ahmad spoke at the Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences on "Islamic Epistemology and the Rise ofd the Scientific Method." 
• Dr. Ahmad's talk on "Definitions of Democracy" was published in the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy newsletter, Muslim Democrat.

•  The Minaret of Freedom Institute was the subject of a front page article in the Montgomery Journal (8/30/99). 

• The National Council for Adoption will include our article on "The Islamic View on Adoption and Caring for Homeless Children" in its Fact Book III. 
• Dr. Ahmad participated in the the American Islamic Heritage Festival in Takoma Park, MD. He sang "Ballad of Deir Yassin," took part in a panel on the Muslim community in America, and promoted the Minaret of Freedom Institute's books. 

• Our 1999 Annual Dinner featured talks by Omaima Abou-Bakr on "Gender Perspectives in Islamic Tradition" and by Avis Asiye Allman on "Religious Freedom in Turkey." 
• MFI president Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad met with Iranian journalists at the United Association for Studies and Research office as part of Khatemi's "people to people" program. 
• Dr. Ahmad gave an "Introduction to Islam" to students at the Foreign Service Institute 

• Dr. Ahmad moderated a special United Associates for Studies and Research (UASR) symposium on "The United States and Iran: It's Time to Talk" featuring Ambassador Robert Pelletreau, Chairman of the American-Iranian Council and a former Assistant Secretary of State at the American Muslim Council's annual conference in Crystal City Virginia.  The symposium was cablecast by C-SPAN.

• The Instititute has published a brochure on Charitable Remainder Trusts 
• Dr. Ahmad moderated a United Associates for Studies and Research (UASR) roundtable discussion on "The Islamic Movement in Palestine, Jordan, and Egypt" with scholar and writer Graham Fuller, formerly of the CIA and the Rand Corporation.

• The Instititute hosted a meeting to plan a conference on Islamic Schooling.  Attending were MFI Board members Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad and Ali Abuza`kouk and President of the Separation of School and State Alliance Marshall Fritz, and Sr. Nadi Amri of the Islamic Schools League of America. 
• The Institute distributed a press release at a press conference criticizing the Supreme Court ruling that the federal government may selectively prosecute immigrants for actions which are not crimes when conducted by citizens. 

• Dr. Ahmad participated in a Liberty Fund Colloquium on "Religion, Constitutionals, and Democratic Principles of Contemporary Islam" in Charleston, South Carolina, organized by Minaret of freedom Institute Advisor Prof. Charles Butterworth. 
• Dr. Ahmad moderated a United Associates for Studies and Research (UASR) roundtable discussion on "Islamism: A Critique" with guest Daniel Pipes, Editor of the Middle East Quarterly. 

• Dr. Ahmad presented Hillary Rodham Clinton a copy of Islam and the West: A Dialog at her annual Eid party at the White House.

1998

• Dr. Ahmad participated in a workshop on "Islam, Civil Society and Human Rights" organized by the Center for International Policy. 

• The Wall Street Journal published our letter: "Sudan: Who Dug Up the 'Hard Evidence'?" 
• Dr. Ahmad was a keynote speaker at the 1998 Separation of School and State conference held in Colorado Springs on Nov. 12 -14, 1998, and gave a presentation on "The Suppression of Islamic Education in Turkey." 

• Our Secretary Sharmin Ahmad represented the Institute at the Muslim Students Association International Human Rights Dinner on Oct. 27 at George Washington University 
• Dr. Ahmad presented a paper on THE DINAR: INDISPENSABILITY OF HARD MONEY TO THE ISLAMIC MONETARY REGIME for the Chicago meeting of the American Muslim Social Scientists on Oct. 30, 1998. 

September 1998

• Dr. Ahmad discussed Islam, freedom, and knowledge on Caroline Casey's radio program broadcast in San Francisco. 
• The Minaret of Freedom Institute shared a booth with the American Muslim Social Scientists at the Islamic Society of North America convention in St. Louis, MO. 
• Dr. Ahmad discussed Islam and the West on the "Call from the Minaret" radio program broadcast in Providence, RI and Phoenix, AZ. 
• Dr. Ahmad lectured on Islam and modern values at the Islamic Society of Frederick, MD. 
• Dr. Ali Mazrui's article on Muslim Dilemmas from Human Rights to the Right to Nuclear Weapons has been submitted for publication to the Journal of Middle East Affairs. 

August 1998

• MFI issues a press release on the Clinton bombings of Sudan and Afghanistan 
• Dr. Ahmad moderated a United Associates for Studies and Research (UASR) roundtable discussion on "An Alternative to Dual Containment" with guest Kenneth Katzman of the Congressional Research Service at the Library of Congress. 
• The Moroccan journal Le Forum Libéral has published part one of a French translation of Dr. Ahmad's article on Islamic political economy. 
• The Minaret of Freedom Institute operated an exhibit  booth at the Muslim Unity Conference in Washington, DC. 

July 1998

• Wednesday, July 22, Dr. Ahmad gave a presentation to students of the School of Islamic and Social Sciences on retreat at George Mason University on the activities and goals of the Minaret of Freedom Institute. 
• Islamic Horizons published condensed versions of Dr. Ahmad's talks on "Using PICS for Authenticating, Certifying and Filtering Islamic Sites" and on "Necessary Elements in an Islamic Moonsighting Website." in June
• Islam and the West: A Dialog edited by Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad and Ahmed Yousef and featuring top Western analysts of Islam meeting in a round table discussion with Muslim intellectuals and activists is now available for $17.95 postpaid.  Contributors include: Graham Fuller, Robert G Neumann, Stephen C. Pelletiere, Charles E. Butterworth, Michael C. Dunn, Joyce Davis, Louis Cantori, Antony T.Sullivan, and I. William Zartman. 
• Saturday, June 13, 1998 THE FIRST ANNUAL Minaret of Freedom Institute dinner was held at the RAMADA INN in Bethesda, MD. Special Guest Speaker Prof. Ali Mazrui spoke on "Islamic Dilemmas Between Human Rights and the Right to Nuclear Weapons."

May 1998

• May 18-19, 1998 Dr. Ahmad presented the opening address on "Islam and Free Markets" at the Association for Liberal Thinking conference in Turkey on "Islam, Civil Society and Free Markets"

April 1998

• Dr. Ahmad was a panelist at ISNA's Conference on Muslims and the Information Superhighway International Conference '98 held in Indianapolis. Dr. Ahmad spoke on "Using PICS for Authenticating, Certifying and Filtering Islamic Sites" and on "Necessary Elements in an Islamic Moonsighting Website" 
• MFI Secretary Sharmin Ahmad attended a workshop on Islamic Law and Gender at Georgetown University.

March 1998

• MFI was mentioned in an extraordinarily favorable four-page article on "The New Islam" published in the March 16, 1998 issue of Newsweek. 
• Dr. Ahmad's article on Islam and Markets was the take-off point for an outstanding article by Jim Rogers in the April issue of Worth, a quality financial news magazine. 
• Dr. Ahmad's review of Karen Armstrong's book Jerusalem appeared in the Summer-Fall 1997 issue of Journal of Middle East Affairs.

February 1998

• MFI Vice President Ali Ramadan Abuza`kouk was interviewed live by correspondents of Cairo satellite" Nile TV" and Casablanca channel 2 satellite television about the American Muslim community for the WORLDNET television program "Dialog" with host Jim Berthel.

January 1998

• Dr. Ahmad discussed RAMADAN on PBS Television's "Religion and Ethics Newsweekly" on Jan. 4, 1998. 
• Dr.Ahmad participated in a workshop on the taxonomy of the Islamist movements hosted by Graham Fuller at the RAND corporation.

1997

December 1997

• Dr. Ahmad was a panelist critiquing Howard Phillips' comments on Because All Education Is Religious, the Government Must Get Out. 

November 1997

• A presentation was held on Islam and the Discovery of Freedom featuring Sulayman Nyang, Omar Altalib, and Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad held in Bethesda. 
• Dr. Ahmad discussed Female Circumcision at a conference on Ethiopian community development.

October 1997

• Dr. Ahmad appeared in a Washington area radio interview on his new book Islam and the Discovery of Freedom. 
• Dr. Ahmad spoke to the annual convention of the Maryland Libertarian Party about the threat to religious freedom posed by the Supreme Court's overturning of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

September 1997

• On September 12, Dr. Ahmad appeared on a panel discussing "Religion and Female Genital Mutilation" at a conference sponsored by the Ethiopian Development Commission in Washington, DC.

August 1997

• On August 4-9, 1997, Dr. Ahmad gave a series of presentations for the International Institute for Political & Economic Studies in Greece. Subjects included "The politico-economics factors behind the rise and fall of civilizations"; "Democracy--Who needs it?"; "Islam and the Discovery of Freedom"; and "Culture and Economics" (the last co-presented with MFI advisor Dr. Antony Sullivan).

June 1997

• On June 29, Dr. Ahmad moderated the UASR Roundtable on "US Policy Towards Islamic Movements--The Islamic Dimension" with Richard H. Curtiss, editor of Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. 
• On June 6, the Minaret of Freedom Institute signed an agreement with Congressional Service Inc. under which the latter will make MFI publications available electronically to Congressional and other researchers.

May 1997

• On May 25, Dr. Ahmad moderated the United Associates for Studies and Research (UASR) Roundtable with Attila Yayla of Hactepa University and the Association for Liberal Thinking. Drs. Yayla and Ahmad and the participating Islamic intellectuals and activists discussed the future of the Islamic movement in Turkey. 
• On May 15, Dr. Ahmad moderated the UASR Roundtable on "When the Revolution Comes" with George Mason University Professor of Governmental Politics Mark Katz. Participants explored the question of whether the Islamic resurgence will follow the patterns of Arab nationalism and Marxism in their rise and fall. 
• On May 8, Dr. Ahmad met with the leader of the Kenyan opposition at the US Information Agency to review the problems of establishing democracy in Kenya.

April 1997

• On April 3, Dr. Ahmad lectured at the Foreign Services Institute on Political Islam

March 1997

• The Minaret of Freedom Institute helped to draft a letter to the Supreme Court concluding a compromise solution regarding the use of an alleged image of the Prophet Muhammad in a frieze on the Court's wall. The Court will make public literature admitting that no one knows what the Prophet looks like (and therefore the image cannot possibly be his likeness) while continuing to commemorate the vital role Islam played in the development of the concept of the "Rule of Law." 
• Dr. Ahmad appeared with Algerian scholar Bouthenia Cheriet to discuss the denial of democracy in Algeria on National Empowerment Television's national cable program "World Wise."

February 1997

• Dr. Ahmad and Advisory Board members Charles Butterworth and Antony Sullivan participated in a Conference on Democratization to be held in Morocco.

January 1997

• Dr. Ahmad presented a Lecture on "Time in Islam" at Shenandoah University.

1996

December 1996

• Dr. Ahmad debated Israeli journalist Avinoam Bar Yosef regarding Israeli policies on National Empowerment Television's national cable program "World Wise."

November 1996

• Dr. Ahmad addressed the 2nd Annual Conference of the Separation of School and State on "Why Muslims Need the Separation of School and State." 
• Dr. Ahmad spoke on "Islam and Science" at Shenandoah University. 
• Dr. Ahmad moderated a roundtable discussion at UASR between Muslim intellectuals and Prof. Simone Sharoni on the Israeli occupation of Palestine. 

October 1996

• Dr. Ahmad's letter to the editor exposing the real problem's behind Netanyahu's tunnel opening was published in the Washington Times.

September 1996

• Advisory Board member Prof. Charles Butterworth convened a Liberty Fund Seminar of "Islam and Medieval Constitutionalism." Dr. Ahmad participated on behalf of the Minaret if Freedom Institute. 
• Dr. Ahmad recited "al-Fatiha" as the invocation at the Atlas Economic Turkey on "Religion and Culture." Research Foundation's annual dinner. This was the first time the event opened with an Islamic invocation. 
• Dr. Ahmad was interviewed by the Islamist channel on Turkish television.

August 1996

• Dr. Ahmad moderated a roundtable discussion at UASR between Muslim intellectuals and Prof. William Zartman on conflict resolution in the Muslim world. 
• Dr. Ahmad's letter to the editor of Newsweek results in an accommodating response from Newsweek's editorial staff.

July 1996

• Dr. Ahmad attended Amnesty International's conference on Afghanistan the forgotten tragedy. In response to comments favoring an arms embargo on Afghanistan made by the American, Russian, and Pakistani representatives, he asked "Why should those of us who are concerned about human rights think that an arms embargo against Afghanistan will be any lesson of a disaster for the Afghani people than the embargo against Bosnia was for the Bosnians?" 
• The American Muslim Council Newsletter published Dr. Ahmad's summary of the of American Committee on Jerusalem's conference on the status of that city under the "peace process" in the light of the election of Netanyahu. 
• The Wall Street Journal published Dr. Ahmad's letter on the Saudi bombing under the title "Repressing Dissent Breeds Violence." 
• Tikkun magazine published a summary of Dr. Ahmad's talk at the Politics of Meaning Conference which explained that among the reasons the Left is not succeeding among Muslims are the Left's rejection of markets as incompatible with Islam and ignoring the vital women's rights guaranteed by Islam to attack Muslim women for their style of dress.

June 1996

• Dr. Ahmad attended a presentation by Ron Young of the Inter-Religious Committee for Peace in the Middle East. Mr. Young accepted by suggestion that he should include mention of the positive relationship between indigenous Christians and Muslims of Jerusalem in his talks.

May 1996

• Dr. Ahmad made a successful European lecture tour, including a presentation on our activities at the ATLAS Economic Research Foundation Workshop in England, a talk on "Islam Market Economy and the Rule of Law" to the Association for Liberal Thought conference in Turkey, and a talk on "Islam and Liberalism" at conference in Paris. He was also able to address the Ayn Rand Society in Paris on Rand, Reason and Religion. While in Turkey, Dr. Ahmad was interviewed by two Islamist newspapers, including Zaman one of Turkeys three biggest newspapers. At the end of the interview, the translator boasted: "Turkey's most liberal prime minister was its most religious one, Turgat Ozal." 
• First Things magazine published Dr. Ahmad's rebuttal of Bernard Lewis' Review of Esposito's Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World and Dr. Ahmad's article on "Islam and Markets" was published in the Acton Institute's journal Religion and Liberty vol. 6 #3 May-June '96.

April 1996

• Dr. Ahmad lectured on Political Islam at the Foreign Service Institute in Virginia. 
• Dr. Ahmad appeared on Mark Bruzonsky' Mid-East Realities to discuss the persecution of Abu Marzook and the Palestinian "Peace process," and gave a talk on "God Does not Belong to the Right--So Why are Right-Wingers Winning in the Religious World?" at Rabbi Michael Lerners' "Politics of Meaning Conference." (See entry under July, above.)

March 1996

• The Wall Street Journal published Minaret of Freedom Secretary Sharmin Ahmad's rebuttal of Steven Emerson's accusations that the Islamic intellectuals and activists are terrorists.