ABC7 News featured spotlighted AMWEC’s “Internship Program [that] Encourages Muslim Girls to Pursue Law Enforcement Careers.” It spotlighted teenagers like Ausna Haris, a Muslim student who dreams of becoming an FBI agent. The show also quoted AMWEC President Anila Ali noting that “women are under-represented in law enforcement, and Muslim women even more under-represented.”
AMWEC’s annual women’s leadership conference was held at Knott’s Berry Farm Resort Hotel under the title: “American Muslims and Their Crucial Role in Countering Violent Extremism.” at Knott’s Berry Farm Resort Hotel. The conference was followed by an Empowerment Bazaar showcasing American Muslim women’s efforts to engage, inform, and integrate into the fabric of mainstream America. Speakers included Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, US Attorney General Stephanie Yonekura, and FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Bowdich (among others).
AMWEC President Anila Ali spoke at the White House Summit for Countering Violent Extremism. Her panel was covered on C-SPAN. Ali used the occasion to discuss the unique aspects of the Muslim American community and how empowering Muslim women can be an effective tool to counter the extremist narrative and protect children.
AMWEC has launched a collaboration with the Women, Politics, and Activism Project run by The Lawrence de Graaf Center for Oral and Public History at California State University Fullerton. AMWEC leaders are sharing their oral testimonies and personal stories with the archive.
AMWEC held its annual Women’s leadership conference at Knott’s Berry Farm Resort Hotel under the title: “Honoring Razia Jan and Muslim Women in Politics.” Razia Jan was honored for her work educating young women in Afghanistan. Speakers included: Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, South Asian Helpline and Referral Agency’s Sheela Mehta, the Olive Tree Initiative’s Corey Feinstein,
Los Angeles Human Rights Commission analyst Joumana Silyan Saba, and San Gabriel Valley Mosque director Said Sedouk.
Under the theme “To Empower U.S. Muslim Women,” AMWEC held its annual leadership conference at the Hyatt Regency. Speakers included Congresswoman Maxine Waters, State Department Special Representative to Muslim communities Farah Pandith, US Attorney Andre Birotte Jr., White House Senior Advisor on Civil Rights Amanda Baran, Pakistani Consul General Riffat Masood, and Deputy Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department Michael Downing. See coverage in The Los Angeles Times.