Wright Mahdi Bray (born "Wright Bray" January 9, 1950), was a Muslim American civil and human rights activist and currently the National Director of the American Muslim Alliance[2] and formerly served as executive director of the Muslim American Society's Freedom Foundation (MAS Freedom) based in Washington, DC.[3] The foundation supported Muslim activists and religious leaders who have been arrested.[4]
Wright Mahdi Bray | |
|---|---|
 Mahdi Bray | |
| Born | Wright Bray January 9, 1950 Norfolk, VA |
| Died | October 9, 2024 (age 74) |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Wrighty Bray, Jr.; Wright Bray IV; Herbert Bray[1] |
| Occupation | National Director |
| Employer | American Muslim Alliance[2] |
| Website | Bray blog |
Political activism
editBray used to be political director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC).[5][6]
In 2001 Bray served as a liaison with United States President George W. Bush's White House Faith-Based Initiative Program, which he later opposed.[5][7][8] After the September 11 attacks, he and other Muslim leaders met with then-U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft.[9] He also served as a congressional affairs representative on behalf of the Muslim community.
at 2006 peace protest.
Bray served on the board of directors of the Interfaith Alliance and the National Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice, and is a National Co-convener of Religions for Peace-USA. He is a Washington, DC, television and radio talk show host, and has appeared on CBS News, Fox, MSNBC, CNN, C-SPAN, Aljazeera, and many TV and radio talk shows. Bray also organized protests against the U.S. war in Afghanistan,[10] the Iraq war, and the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.[11][12]
References
edit- ^ "U.S. v. Wright Bray, Indictment, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, January 8, 1987, accessed December 11, 2009" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved December 12, 2009.
- ^ a b Rappeport, Alan (21 September 2015). "Ben Carson's Comments Stir Anger Among Muslims". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
- ^ Official Biography at Muslim American Society website[permanent dead link], April 6, 2009.
- ^ Let Freedom Ring: A Collection of Documents from the Movements to Free U.S. Political Prisoners Archived 2017-03-07 at the Wayback Machine, p. 830, Matt Meyer, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Lynne Stewart, Ashanti Alston, PM Press, 2008, ISBN 978-1-60486-035-1, accessed December 11, 2009
- ^ a b MPAC Hosts White House Office and National Interfaith Leaders Archived 2008-08-21 at the Wayback Machine, Muslim-American Activism section of Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, July, 2001, page 82.
- ^ Delinda C. Hanley, Freeze on Jewish Defense League Assets Called for After JDL Bomb Plot Foiled Archived 2006-11-21 at the Wayback Machine, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, January/February 2002, page 16.
- ^ Muslims talk to DiIulio Archived 2009-12-07 at the Wayback Machine, Christian Century, August 1, 2001.
- ^ Renowned Religious Leaders to Call for Dismantling of White House Faith Based Office, Interfaith Alliance Press release, April 25, 2006.
- ^ Terry Frieden, Ashcroft meets with Muslim, Arab leaders Archived 2008-06-08 at the Wayback Machine, CNN, October 16, 2001.
- ^ Religion and Ethics Episode no. 509 Archived 2013-03-10 at the Wayback Machine, Public Broadcasting Service, November 2, 2001.
- ^ Activists Arrested Outside White House Protesting Bush-Sharon Meeting, Muslim American Society website, April 15, 2004.
- ^ Petula Dvorak, Protest to Encircle White House, Opponents of 'U.S.-Israeli War' Plan Large Rally Tomorrow Archived 2017-09-05 at the Wayback Machine, Washington Post, August 11, 2006.
External links
edit- Mahdi Bray's personal website
- Mahdi Bray speech at August 2006 rally in Washington DC on YouTube
- Mahdi Bray speech at January 2009 rally in Washington DC on YouTube
- Shadow World: Resurgent Russia, the Global New Left, and Radical Islam, Muslim Public Affairs Council, pp. 499–500, Robert Chandler, Regnery Publishing, 2008, ISBN 1-59698-561-5
- Appearances on C-SPAN