Muslim & Korean Leaders Meet with Afghan Consul to Call for Release of Korean Hostages
MPAC Press Release
08.14.2007
The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) yesterday met with Ashraf Haidari, Political Counselor of the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington, DC, regarding the 21 Korean hostages held captive by members of the Taliban in southern Afghanistan.
The meeting follows the delivery of a letter last week from members of the Korean American community, and signed by MPAC Executive Director Salam Al-Marayati, urging the release of the hostages based on humanitarian and religious grounds.
Mr. Haidari informed MPAC that the letter had been forwarded to the office of President Hamid Karzai and the governor of the Ghazni province who is leading the effort to win the release of the hostages. The Counselor expressed his gratitude to MPAC for working with a diverse coalition of civic organizations on the issue and amplifying the Islamic principles of mercy and cooperation in such times of crisis.
On Friday, August 17th, MPAC will also be participating in a press conference alongside Korean American Christian leaders and other interfaith and civic leaders to call for the release of the remaining hostages.
Two women among the group of 23 South Korean church volunteers were released yesterday, nearly a month after the group's bus was hijacked on the road between Kabul and Kandahar. Two of the men in the group have since been killed.
Founded in 1988, the Muslim Public Affairs Council is an American institution which informs and shapes public opinion and policy by serving as a trusted resource to decision makers in government, media and policy institutions. MPAC is also committed to developing leaders with the purpose of enhancing the political and civic participation of Muslim Americans.
