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PAKPAC: Harnessing the Positive Energy

The United States Presidential elections 2004 are over. These elections should be looked at as a beginning point rather than the end point of the the political involvement of our community. This year there has been an un-precedented involvement at all levels amongst the individuals, families, groups and organizations of Pakistani Americans in the US political process. Political involvement of a community is a process, not an event. We had started this process in late 1980s, when the first and maybe the only federally registered Public Affairs Committee was formed. The momentum that has been reached at this time is possibly the most that has ever been seen before. It is decisive for all of us to realize that this positive energy of the critical mass needs to be captured and harnessed into a nation-wide coordination. A long term planning for creating systems of education, understanding, outreaching, coalition building, and organizing is the need of time. The challenges and tasks that are ahead of the Pakistani Americans in the United States political system at this time include but are not limited to the following: (These do not follow the order of priority)

• · Organizing the organizations (Another paper will be shared soon)
• · Increasing individuals’ capacities and understanding of the US political process.
• · Priority setting of the community with respect to campaign contributions through PACs and/or direct contributions.
• · Understanding and capturing the community demographics and choices.
• · Integrating within the US and the US political system
• · Leadership development to make future Pakistani American policy makers
• · Increase understanding and involvement in the administrative branch of the US government.
• · Maximizing education and positive influence on media, and policy institutes.

• We must seize this opportiunity and make every effort to develop an understanding and agenda setting of our community in all the areas/regions where we reside. While the election results may have made some of us sad and others happy, these elections should be looked at as a victory for Pakistani Americans and American Muslims as we no longer are spectators but now more than ever are important players in this ongoing process.

Secretary, PAKPAC
info@pakpac.net
Nov. 3, 2004

Time to count and recount

1. Now that the elections are getting close to call, it is time again to assess the implications of the results for the community within and without the country.

2. Since the White House and Capitol Hill are both firmly sided on one side, how is this going to impact the expectations of our community from these offices?

3. Will the policies under mining human rights domestically continue as it is or will the grip on due process of law be tightened?

4. Will the so-called 'war on terrorism' continue as a 'limited war' or will it spread to other countries in the Middle East?

5. How is the foreign policy going to impact the objectives of Israel and India?

6. How good is the new incumbent for Muslims in general and for the Pakistanis in particular? What would be the fate of Palestinians in the new context? What will be the attitude of White House toward Pakistan, India and solving the Kashmir question?

7. How is the economy going to fare overall and for our community? What will be the fate of many legal and illegal immigrants? Will there be a rise in racism?

8. Since the decision to cast 'protest vote' against Bush and 'qualified support' to Kerry was taken democratically at the community level, what shortcomings have there been to achieve our objectives?

9. Has our community come up to expectations, and has the community been successful in projecting its image nationally and to the media as such?

10. What are the suggestions to improve in future the whole process of organization of and motivation among the community?

Ghulam Mujtaba
mujtaba_g@hotmail.com
Nov. 3, 2004