Sponsor an intern in DC

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The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “If someone gives as charity as little as a single date from honest earnings—and God accepts only honest earnings—God takes it in His Right Hand, then makes it grow for the benefit of the charity-giver, just as one of you raises his foal, until it becomes as big as a mountain.” [Bukhari]

Sponsor an intern
in DC

When America talks, people listen. And within America, there is an institution that can influence America's decisions, including on foreign policy. It's called the lobby.

These lobbies, with smart political manoeuvering, connections in the government and skill are able to shift public policy on the side of their interests. In fact, America is probably one fo the few countries in the world where lobbying is a legal and "honorable" profession.

One example of a powerful lobby which has this effect is the American Israeli Political Action Committee (AIPAC). If you've ever wondered why America is so pro-Israel, AIPAC is, to a large degree, your answer.

You can help Pakistan by training Pakistani-Americans to use the power of lobbies for the benefit of the country.

Lobbying is a skill that Pakistani-Americans, especially the second and third generation, need to learn and use to tilt American foreign policy in favor of Pakistan. The only way they can learn that is by proper training, and internships at places like the White House, Congress and the Pentagon.

AIPAC regularly sponsors interns for positions in the US government. And it doesn't just do that for its own interests. It has also sponsored interns for friendly nations like India. In fact, it has been reported that up to 200 Indian-Americans were trained and placed in different offices in Washington, DC including Congress, the White House and the Pentagon with the help and support of AIPAC.

At this moment, there is no effort to organize Pakistani-Americans in a systematic way so that they can use the lobby method to push for their interests. Nor is there any effort in place to train interns in Washington DC. Why don't you can start a program on your own to do this? Or why not talk to existing Pakistani-American organizations to start this program?

In the Muslim American community, there are a number of organizations that have taken up this challenge. These include the American Muslim Council (AMC), an organization that focuses on Muslim political action and mobilization; the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a media advocacy group. You can contact them and ask how they started this program, or even suggest that they support a Pakistani-American intern who can learn how to lobby for Pakistan, the world's second largest country.

Another organization which you should check out is the Muslim Students Network. They offer summer internship program in which University students serve in entry level positions for Congress, US governmental agencies (including White House administration), media, multilateral banking institutions (such as the World Bank and IMF), public relations firms, and law firms serving political clientele. This will provide an excellent opportunity to learn first hand the ins and outs of how public policy is made in America, what factors influence it and how various lobbies have their role in promoting an agenda in their favor.

Make a personal commitment to promote this whole field in the Muslim community. Talk to your friends about it. If they have children in college, encourage them to study public policy and learn how to lobby through CAIR and the AMC.

Date/Time Last Modified: 6/17/2002 3:48:58 PM