Dear John,

I hope you and your family are having a blessed Ramadan. As we enter the last 10 days, I felt compelled to reach out and share some recent news with you:

• In the heart of L.A., our local mosque, ICSC, was vandalized
• A New Jersey Imam was stabbed while leading prayer
• A New Jersey Islamic School sign was smeared with feces and defaced
• A man was caught on camera smashing a window at a mosque in Minnesota
• A man was charged with a hate crime after entering a mosque, tearing up a Quran, and yelling slurs at congregants just outside Toronto

While Ramadan puts our community in the spotlight, and a resulting increase in activity from Islamophobes during this month shouldn't be surprising, it is more clear than ever that fighting for civil rights and liberties is not enough. It is absolutely essential to stand ready as a community to use legal systems to push back against those targeting our communities, but taking Islamophobes and bigots to court is only half the battle. 

A recent report from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) National shows the number of reported discrimination and bullying complaints from students is increasing. Bullying and harassment by children cannot be addressed the same way perpetrators of hate crimes can be prosecuted or corporations can be pressured. Our community must approach these issues in a different way. 

That is why our work is so important. We are committed to attacking the root causes of hate. We work to stop Islamophobia before it takes hold. The MPAC Hollywood Bureau is working to win hearts and minds by advocating for accurate, humanizing portrayals of Muslims in entertainment– including in children’s movies and shows. The MPAC Policy Bureau is committed to ensuring Islamophobia does not find its way into our nation's policies. The MPAC Research Bureau is taking on Islamophobes and extremists online and in academia. And the MPAC Mustard Seed Project is building bridges and breaking barriers in communities that have nothing but biased media portrayals to base their perceptions of Muslims on. 

It’s the last 10 days of Ramadan. The next generation of American Muslims is counting on your support now more than ever. Make a Zakat-eligible contribution by clicking the button below, and join us in putting truth into action. 

Saif Iqbal
Director
Development and Communications