CAIR: U.S. Muslim, Arab-American Delegation Visiting Morocco to Discuss Political Reforms

RABAT, Morocco, March 25, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A delegation of American Muslim and Arab-American leaders is currently visiting Morocco at the invitation of that nation's government to meet with civil organizations and officials for discussions about political reforms and the process of strengthening democracy.

The 16-member delegation, which includes American Muslim community and religious leaders, academics and political activists, so far met with a number of civic associations and with Moroccan officials representing the parliament, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, the Muhammadan League of Religious Scholars, the Central Authority for Corruption Prevention, and the National Council for Human Rights, among others.

Delegation members also travelled to the city of Dakhla in the Moroccan Sahara for meetings with the provincial governor and non-governmental organizations to learn more about rapid development taking place in that region.

"We are grateful for the tremendous hospitality we have experienced and for the opportunity to learn about ongoing political reforms and civic development occurring in Morocco," said Omar Zaki, a member of the delegation and board chair of the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). "When we return to the United States, we hope to share what we have learned with our community and the larger society." Zaki is also a member of the International Relations Council of Riverside, Calif.

"The relationship between our nation and Morocco has deep historical roots, which we seek to strengthen and deepen through exchanges such as these," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad, the leader of the delegation.

Later this week, the delegation will travel to Casablanca and the historic city of Fez for more meetings with government officials and for a conference on political reforms and bilateral relations with Moroccan scholars and researchers.

Delegation members include representatives of CAIR, the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), the Muslim American Society - Public Affairs and Civic Engagement (MAS-PACE), the Syrian American Council (SAC), American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), the Shura Council of Southern California, the Coordinating Council of Muslim Organizations in the Washington, D.C., area, as well as other community activists and academics.

The Muslim delegation was also joined by James Gomez, a representative of Rev. Jesse Jackson's Rainbow PUSH Coalition, and by Randa Fahmy Hudome, a government affairs consultant and former George W. Bush administration official.

CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]

SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations