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NATIONALNEWS Bioethics Advisor
Right on Rights Commission
Lonnie Ali, wife of the Champ, Muhammad Ali, will serve on the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, which advises the president on bioethical issues related to advances in biomedicine and related areas of science and technology. It
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n 27 Apr., despite the ongoing controversy, the Jacksonville City Council voted 13-6 to seat Dr. Parvez Ahmed (professor, University of North Florida) on the city’s twentymember volunteer Human Rights Commission. One can say that this decision embodies the commission’s goals, among them promoting “mutual understanding and respect among members of all economic, social, racial, religious and ethnic groups” and eliminating “discrimination against and antagonism between religious, racial and ethnic groups.” Dr. Ahmed, a former chairman of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR; 2005-08), thanked Mayor John Peyton (R) for his support during the three-week campaign against him led by ACT! for America, which claims to oppose “radical” Muslims, and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The ensuing debate also elicited strong support from civic and religious leaders for a Muslim’s right to public office. A 25 Apr. “Florida Times-Union” editorial supported Dr. Ahmed’s nomination, as did several prominent local individuals and organizations, among them OneJax, the Community Foundation Inc., the NAACP, and Dr. John Delaney (president, University of North Florida), who praised him as a highly respected voice of reason and a promoter of understanding, unity, and tolerance. Political columnist Ron Littlepage (“Times-Union,” 25 Apr.) noted: “Much
of that support comes from people who actually know and work with Ahmed, unlike those who are railing against him.” Dr. Delaney and Dr. Katherine M. Robinson (president, UNF Faculty Association) stated that Dr. Ahmed “has met with numbers of community and church organizations, helping many of us understand the similarities between Christianity, Judaism and Islam ...” The rough treatment caused quite a backlash. In fact Council Member Don Redman, one of his opponents, has sent him a written apology. Others are calling for Dr. Ahmed’s opponents to be rejected at the polls. Dr. Ahmed, a Fulbright Scholar, has also served on the boards of the Islamic Center of Northeast Florida and the ACLU of Florida.
Muslim Joins as Education Monitor
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n 6 Apr., the Maryland Senate unanimously confirmed Sayed Naved’s (president and founder, Banyan Technology Solutions) appointment to the State Board of Education, which is responsible for all public schools in twenty-three counties and the City of Baltimore. Gov. Martin O’Malley had announced the nomination at the historic first “Muslim Legislative Night” on 18 Mar. Naved, a current member and former chair of the Islamic Center of Maryland (ICM) board of trustees, also serves as ICM’s Sunday School principal. This twelve-member “voice of the public” is the policymaker for Maryland’s public schools, public libraries, and vocational rehabilitation ser-
vices and solicits the views of interested groups and the public at large on all important issues. It also chooses the state superintendent of schools; acts as its (non-voting) secretarytreasurer; sets the state’s education policies and standards for schools, public libraries, and correctional education
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and vocational rehabilitation services; passes regulations that have the force of law; and is empowered to interpret the law. In addition, it reviews and approves the Department of Education headquarters, state aid to local education, and state-aided institutions budgets before they are sent for the governor’s approval or revision and then to the general assembly. Each of the state’s twenty-four school systems has its own board of education. The Maryland Muslim Council is confident that this appointment will enable the state’s Muslims to expedite the introduction of Arabic into the public school system, acquire accurate Muslim history texts, and ensure fairness and equity for minority students belonging to all religions and ethnicities.
also identifies and promotes policies and practices that ensure that scientific research, healthcare delivery, and technological innovation are conducted in an ethically responsible manner. An outspoken advocate for raising awareness of Parkinson’s and increasing funds for research, in Dec. 2009 she and her husband opened the Lonnie and Muhammad Ali Pavilion, which houses the Muhammad Ali Parkinson’s Center, on the campus of Barrow Neurological Institute. Located in Phoenix, the center provides the best available treatment, research, and education for patients and families affected by Parkinson’s and other movement disorders. She also helped found the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville in 2005 and serves on its board of directors. She has also been a board member of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, and the Emory Neurosciences community advisory board. She holds a BA from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from UCLA.