U.S. Special Representative for Muslim Communities Visits Bangladesh

by Blitz Desk
November 16, 2010

http://www.weeklyblitz.net/1108/us-special-representative-for-muslim-communities

Farah Pandith, the U.S. Special Representative for Muslim Communities, arrived in Dhaka on Friday, 12 November, for a three-day visit aimed at connecting with civil society—with a special focus on youth. As the first special representative to Muslim Communities, she was chosen by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to carry out President Obama's call for dialogue and partnership with Muslims across the globe, based on the vision President Obama shared in Cairo—relationships built on mutual interest and mutual respect.

Eager to meet many people across a wide spectrum of society, Ms. Pandith first travelled outside Dhaka to Tangail to meet with civil society groups. There she spoke about her role and engaged in a dialogue about Bangladesh in 2010. The conversation focused on the importance of pluralism, respect and dignity for all people, and the diversity of Islam in America.

Saturday, November 13, Ms. Pandith visited the Madinatul Ulum Model Institute Kamil Madrassa in Dhaka. She visited younger students in their classrooms, exchanged views with older students ranging from high schoolers to Masters candidates, and then took tea with Madrassa administrators and senior teachers. In the afternoon Special Representative Pandith met with young imams from across Dhaka at the Language Proficiency Center, which partners with the U.S. Embassy to provide English-language training to imams and madrassa teachers. Special Representative Pandith was eager to engage with these young people and understand more about what they are doing in their own communities and what young people are doing in this country.

Continuing her youth engagement activities, Ms. Pandith on Sunday the 14^th held a roundtable discussion with young entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneurs Leadership League (YELL). She talked with them about the important role young entrepreneurs will have in Bangladesh and they told her about their vision for fueling the entrepreneurial spirit for youth all over the country. She also met with social entrepreneurs and NGOs including JAAGO Foundation, BRAC, and the Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC),

During her visit, Ms. Pandith had informative and wide-ranging discussions with civil society leaders, including Muslim and other religious leaders, and participants in the U.S. Embassy's Leaders of Influence initiative. She concluded her day on the 14th with a web chat hosted by the American Center in Banani and a dinner with Muslim leaders. Ms. Pandith hopes to continue her engagement with Bangladesh through her Facebook page and Twitter (@Farah_Pandith). She left Dhaka on November 15.

Ms. Pandith's mandate to focus specifically on young people is of particular importance in Bangladesh, where it is estimated that 80 percent of the population is under the age of 40. "Bangladesh's youth are dynamic, creative and demonstrate great promise for this country and the world," observed Farah Pandith in a discussion with over 100 young people. Her hope is that bringing together "change-makers" all over the world will result in projects that build stronger, more vibrant communities.

Farah Pandith is an American Muslim born in India. She is the first-ever Special Representative for Muslim Communities for the U.S. Department of State, responsible for executing Secretary Hillary Clinton's vision for engagement with Muslims around the world on a people-to-people and organizational level. She reports directly to the Secretary of State. She was appointed on June 23, 2009, and sworn in by Secretary Clinton at a ceremony at the State Department on September 15, 2009.

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