iMPACt Brief: September

Here is a quick update on what we have been up to these past few weeks.

September 11, 2018

iMPACt Brief

In the past few weeks, we've been able to accomplish a lot. Here’s a Recap:

Policy Work

Congressional Briefing

In partnership with Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, we held a congressional briefing about the need to improve federal enforcement of hate crimes on Capitol Hill. We were joined by speakers from the ACLU, AAI and Shoulder2Shoulder Campaign. These briefings raise awareness about hate crimes and the effect they have on American Muslims and other marginalized communities.

Progress in Congress!

We drafted and helped pass a resolution, with bipartisan support, condemning hate crimes against religious or ethnic minorities in the United States.

Political Advocacy Training

As we push for more diversity and inclusion, we hosted a political advocacy training with Assemblyman Sam Rasoul who led the training for those working towards justice and equity. This kind of training ensures that American Muslims are well equipped to be tomorrow’s leaders.

#MuslimBan Strategies

We examined the legal ramifications of the #MuslimBan and discussed forward-looking strategies with our civil society partners. Building coalitions is essential to addressing discriminatory policies like the Muslim Ban.

Meeting of the Minds in Geneva

Salam spoke at the 2018 Concordia Forum in Geneva about American Politics and Islam in the West to European Muslim leaders. The forum was an opportunity to build alliances and educate the broader Muslim community about our work.

Civic Engagement at ISNA

Salam spoke about the importance of American Muslims being civically engaged during the midterm elections in November at the ISNA Conference in Houston. Empowering our community to get engaged is the first step in improving policies for American Muslims.

MPAC in the Media:

CNN

Our Policy Director, Hoda Hawa, was interviewed about the monumental win of Rashida Tlaib and what it means for American Muslims and for all of America. Read More.

CBC

Our Director of the Hollywood Bureau (HB), Sue Obeidi, was interviewed about the HB's role in the ever-changing landscape of diversity and inclusion in Hollywood and the entertainment world. Read More.

Al-Jazeera

Hoda Hawa spoke on Al-Jazeera's The Stream about the future of American politics as a record number of women, including American Muslim women, run for elected office. She was joined by Rashida Tlaib, Deedra Abboud and Tahirah Amatul-Wadud. Read More.

Rewire News

Our Policy Fellow, Ilhan Cagri, spoke with Rewire News about the DOJ Religious Liberty Summit and her concerns about the department becoming Christian-centric and marginalizing other religious groups. Read More.