Voice of Witness is delighted to announce its collaboration with three local and national organizations for its forthcoming book telling the stories of those affected by post-9/11 backlash including Muslim, Arab, South Asian and Middle Eastern-Americans.
The organizations- CAIR, the Council on American Islamic Relations of California, San Francisco’s Arab Cultural and Community Center, and MPAC, the Muslim Public Affairs Council- will assist Voice of Witness in advisory roles and with community outreach and fundraising for the forthcoming book. Edited by author Alia Malek (A Country Called Amreeka) with consulting support from journalist/playwright Wajahat Ali (The Domestic Crusaders), the project addresses the rise of hate crimes and discrimination against men and women from Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian and other communities in the US after 9/11.
Editor Alia Malek describes the importance of this project, saying:
“As we approach the 10 year anniversary of 9/11, the country will inevitably pause to reflect on what this decade has meant for us — as a people, as a society, as a nation. It is essential that these commemorations and reckonings include the experiences of a complete range of people whose lives have been impacted by this turning point in US history.”
Voice of Witness co-founder Dave Eggers discovered the need for this type of project through his own writing, he explains:
“Though I’d been aware of it through the news and other means, I learned firsthand, while researching Zeitoun, the intense scrutiny, prejudice and misinformation that plagues Arab- and Muslim-Americans. Their stories need to be told, and Alia Malek’s Voice of Witness book will be an essential tool in the process of American self-education about the lives of the innocents swept up in the War on Terror.”
Voice of Witness’ collaboration will enable the forthcoming book to be adopted as a primary outreach and education resource for partnering organizations. Upon completion, the book will be used as a tool for cultural competency trainings for businesses, social service organizations and healthcare providers, as well as in educational programs in schools and in advocacy work.
Of the partnership, CAIR San Francisco Bay Area Program and Outreach Director Zahra Billoo states, “CAIR-CA is excited to be working with Voice of Witness on this project as it will create an avenue through which to tell the personal stories of American Muslims whose civil rights have been violated in the wake of 9/11.”
About the Participating Organizations:
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties group. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
MPAC is a public service agency working for the civil rights of American Muslims, for the integration of Islam into American pluralism, and for a positive, constructive relationship between American Muslims and their representatives.
The mission of the Arab Cultural and Community Center is to serve both the Arab-American and the greater Bay Area community through cultural programs, outreach, and social services. The ACCC serves over 6,000 people annually and seeks to educate and inform the larger Bay Area community about Arab culture and the contributions that Arab-Americans make to the social and cultural fabric of the Bay Area.
We are still looking for narrators and funders for this crucial project. For more information on the book and how you can help make it a reality, click here.
