March 26, 2007

Center Update #52

ICRD and the Media: A New Milestone

Following our January interview with NPR, there has been more recent media coverage highlighting our work on (1) AARP's "Prime Time" radio network that will go out over 170 stations across the country this week; (2) radio stations that have already broadcast in Los Angeles and Asheville, NC, and (3) a cable television station that has aired in Dallas/Fort Worth and another that will soon air in various communities across the state of New Hampshire. Even more significant is an editorial in this month's issue of Christianity Today, the leading journal of Evangelical Christians in the United States, which applauds our work and urges the Evangelical community to support ICRD (link here). This represents a "sea change" in the attitude of an important community that has typically been skeptical of multi-religious initiatives.

Second Annual Conference on Muslims of America

Last week, approximately 40 American Muslim leaders and U.S. government officials participated in our second annual conference on "Building Dynamic Muslim-Government Partnerships for Constructive Engagement." Over the course of two days, the participants reviewed the progress achieved on last year's recommendations, refined those recommendations in light of more recent developments, and buttressed them with new complementary initiatives that will be implemented over the next year. Highlighting the conference were keynote presentations by the Honorable Joseph Billy, Assistant Director of the FBI for Counterterrorism and Congressman Keith Ellison, the first Muslim to be elected to the House of Representatives. Although there is much yet to be done, the event was a great success.

Tax Time Reminder

This recent extract from the Wall Street Journal may prove helpful to some of you who have been supporting our efforts:

A new provision that allows seniors to give as much as $100,000 tax-free to charity from an IRA has proven popular since it was introduced as part of the Pension Protection Act last August. Though permitted only in 2006 and 2007, the IRA rollovers-which are available to people 70 ½ and older-could become much more widely used. That would happen if a bill that makes them permanent and lifts limits on the size and kind of contributions they fund becomes law.

With best wishes,

Doug Johnston
President