DEARBORN – While Americans have access to more information than ever before thanks to the Internet and other sources, persistent myths about American Muslims and the country’s foreign policy have continued to halt progress. But for more than 10 years, the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding has a leader in the quest to dispel many of those myths through education. 

Attalla and his wife, Fatina with his award for philanthropy from ISPU.

The Detroit-based research group and think tank organization (ISPU.org) held its 2011 Annual Banquet at the Ford Conference & Event Center, celebrating the year’s accomplishments while raising funds. 

“ISPU is on an incredible upward trajectory,” said Master of Ceremonies Saeed Khan. “We continue to grow, continue to add diversity and continue to conduct groundbreaking research.”

IPSU policy briefs created in 2011 touched on nationally-relevant topics including “A Close Look at the Anti-Shari’a Debate,” “Global Battleground or School Playground: The Bullying of America’s Muslim Children,” and “Countering Religion or Terrorism: Selective Enforcement of Material Support Laws Against Muslims.” Others centered on foreign policy issues such as the legality of U.S. drone attacks in Pakistan. For the coming months, a study on the impact of Muslim doctors in the United States is among the anticipated releases from ISPU. 

“The ISPU is the only organization providing trusted information like this to the media,” said Shireen Zaman, the ISPU’s executive director. “The government needs data, and the media needs experts to talk to, and that’s what we provide.” 

“Today, the info on American Muslims comes from people who don’t know us at all,” said Dr. Aminah McCloud, Director of the Islamic World Studies Program at DePaul University in Chicago and a key ISPU adviser. McCloud echoed the importance of giving others the information needed to dispel myths.

McCloud was honored with the ISPU Scholar Award on the evening for her work with the organization. 

“The phase of being fearful has to be over,” she said, encouraging attendees to engage more and to continue to work to improve American society. 

Attorney Tim Attalla was presented with the ISPU’s Distinguished Award for Philanthropy on the evening as well. Attalla was acquitted of a drug conspiracy charge in federal court in Detroit in November 2010 after he was falsely accused of assisting a notorious motorcycle gang. 

The case that many believe was a strong example of discrimination strengthened Attalla’s resolve to help ISPU in order to educate the general public about the true nature of American Muslims.

“We live in the Misinformation Age,” Attalla said. “The best way we can respond is through education and by supporting organizations like the ISPU.” 

The keynote address was given by Kamran Pasha, an established Muslim TV and movie producer, director and screenwriter. Pasha gave up the security of his job as a lawyer at a New York firm to move to Hollywood and pursue his current career and eventually used his platform to provide a balanced view of Muslims in various shows. 

“When I grew up the only image you saw of Muslims and Arabs, was of the villain,” he said. 

Pasha remembered seeing an episode of one of his favorite series, Bionic Woman, in which the title character traveled to the Middle East and encountered villains who shouted “Allahu Akhbar!”  before they were disposed of by the title character. 

“We were given no information, these characters were just a vague idea that was just empty,” he said, saying he wanted to provide a more comprehensive picture within the entertainment business. He went on to become a producer of the remake of the show in 2007, fulfilling a lifelong goal even though his peers thought he wouldn’t make it because of his background.

“If you do the work and lay the seeds, you never know where it will lead you,” he said.