At least 150 Muslim activists from across the country gathered on Capitol Hill on April 25 to protest the nomination of controversial commentator Daniel Pipes to the United States Institute of Peace

Christian Century, May 17, 2003

At least 150 Muslim activists from across the country gathered on Capitol Hill on April 25 to protest the nomination of controversial commentator Daniel Pipes to the United States Institute of Peace. The lobbying effort was led by participants in the Council on American-Islamic Relations Annual Leadership Conference.

CAIR, which is a Washington-based Islamic civil rights and advocacy group, argues that Pipes's views on Israel and civil liberties for Arabs and Muslims qualify him as "the nation's leading Islamophobe." Pipes, who directs the Philadelphia-based Middle East Forum, was nominated to the government-funded Institute of Peace by President Bush. The Senate must confirm the nomination to the foreign-policy think tank. Muslim activists met with elected officials and congressional staffers. The purpose of the conference was to focus on political empowerment and leadership skills for American Muslims.