VOLUME No: 73 Issue No:3
Washington, D.C. - May 19, 2005
Islamic Free Market Institute Chairman
Testifies Before Congressional Committee
On Tuesday, May 17, 2005, Khaled Saffuri, Chairman of the Islamic Free Market Institute Foundation, testified before the House Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats, and International Relations. The hearing titled “Fostering Democracy in the Middle East: Defeating Terrorism with Ballots” addressed many of the issues affecting democracy in the Middle East, with particular attention on progress in Iraq.
Mr. Saffuri confirmed that not only is Islam compatible with democracy, but democratic principles are a requirement of Islam. Mr. Saffuri also expressed some of his concerns, such as the ineffectiveness of Al-Hurra and other U.S. sponsored media outlets in the region, and explained how to deliver the U.S. message without contradictions in policy and perception. Finally, he also called for the U.S. government to reach out to moderate Muslims in order to hinder the growth of extremists in the region.
The full written testimony can be found at:
http://www.islamicinstitute.org/fb-2005/govre-05-05.pdf
New Proposed Legislation for Stem Cell Research
House GOP leaders will present new legislation allowing for federal funding of embryonic-stem-cell research. The new bill will be proposed as an alternative to Rep. Mike Castle’s (R-Del.) H.R. 810, which boasted the support of 199 co-sponsors until many conservatives started to campaign against it.
The Castle bill, which was co-written by Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) aimed at rolling back the 2001 President’s ban on federal funding for embryonic-stem-cell lines.
Both bills, which encourage research in non-embryonic stem cells, could come up for debate next week.
Most conservatives support research on umbilical-cord blood but disapprove of embryonic-stem-cell research because the embryos are destroyed once the new stem-cell line has been created.
PATRIOT Act Expansion Conducted Behind Closed Doors
Civil liberties supporters are condemning proposed legislation that strengthens Federal powers under the USA PATRIOT Act.
Most of the work on the PATRIOT Act is being conducted behind closed doors, which indicates that some in Congress are trying to rush through legislation and keep the public uninformed.
The legislation, partly drafted by Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, is expected to expand the ability of law enforcement agencies to issue subpoenas in terrorism investigations without first having to get permission from a judge, bypassing the traditional judicial review needed on warrants.
Many civil liberties supporters, including the Islamic Free Market Institute Foundation, believe that the PATRIOT Act needs an overhaul that will allow it to effectively protect our nation without trampling on our civil liberties.
