Seeded by the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) which was established in 1988, the Safe Spaces Initiative seeks to assist communities and community leaders in identifying, intervening and addressing the issues of American Muslim individuals that may be susceptible to engaging in violent extremism. The impetus behind the Safe Spaces Initiative was the Boston Marathon bombing wherein, despite government precautions, the attacks brought to light that gaps still exist in addressing extremist tendencies and that law enforcement can only go so far in preventing these attacks.