(Washington, DC) The Free Muslims Coalition (FMC), a prominent American Muslim organization with 16 chapters world wide, met with the State Department's office of Public Diplomacy for Middle Eastern and MEPI Affairs.

FMC was represented by FMC president Kamal Nawash, FMC senior fellow Imam Dr. Ahmad Subhy Mansour, and FMC project Director Sarah Morrison.

The FMC delegation were briefed by USAID's Assistant Administrator Ed Fox on the existing programs in the broader Middle East and North Africa as well as the work of USAID in Muslim countries around the world.

Kamal Nawash discussed several programs being formulated by FMC to institute educational reform in the various Muslim countries. Included in the discussion is an ongoing project by FMC and its scholars to produce elementary, middle and high school text that teach subjects relating to democracy, freedom of religion, women's rights and tolerance. This project is unique because it is one of the first attempts to advocate these issues based on Islamic text and tradition. This approach is contrary to extremist interpretations of Islam that argue that these notions are inconsistent with Islam which FMC clearly believe are not.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Walid Maalouf, Director of Public Diplomacy at USAID, said, It is very crucial to communicate always with Middle Eastern and Muslim Americans regarding the efforts of President George W. Bush in the region and in the Muslim world in particular. Any Muslim American group is welcome to visit with us and be briefed about the President's initiatives to bring the East and the West closer and closer together. Mr. Maalouf reminded the FMC delegation that last year, Administrator Andrew Natsios visited several Muslim American communities during the holy month of Ramadan, and in each of the past two years he has hosted Iftars (breaking of the fast) at the USAID headquarters in Washington, DC.

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