The Muslim Public Affairs Council of Western New York is holding its annual meeting in Amherst Saturday evening.
The meeting will feature a panel discussion on the political upheaval in several nations and how it may affect U.S. relations. It's become known as the Arab Spring, when several nations in the Muslim world saw the removals of longtime dictators. It happened in Tunisia, in Egypt and in Libya. There is continued political unrest in Syria and in Yemen.
Saturday evening the annual meeting of the Muslim Public Affairs Council will include a symposium titled "The Arab Spring and its Implications for the U.S." Council president Dr. Khalid Qazi spoke of how the removal of longtime leaders changes the political dynamics.
"The symposium is based on a panel discussion regarding what we have come to can an Arab Spring, the movement in the Middle East about democracy and elimination of these dictatorial rules," said Dr. Qazi.
Among the scheduled participants in the symposium is Dr. Manar Sabry, adjunct professor at D'Youville College.
"Well we definitely welcome change and we really want to see our countries in more of freedom and a better situation at all levels. I don't have any fear about that and I believe that the future will be better for all the countries," said Sabry.
The Muslim Public Affairs Council's annual meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. inside the Islamic Society of the Niagara Frontier on Heim Road in Amherst. It's free and open to the general public.
