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Issue 4: May 1, 2023

A monthly spotlight on major developments in MPAC’s D.C. Office

THIS MONTH IN DC – Press Conference on Recent Assault on Worshipers in Al-Aqsa Mosque ([link removed]) , Statement: Another Ramadan, Another Invasion of Al-Aqsa ([link removed]) , In Conversation with Linda Sarsour: Protecting the Right to Religious Freedom, ([link removed]) Groff v. DeJoy: An Expansion of Religious Freedoms ([link removed]) , MPAC Recognized on House Floor ([link removed])

MPAC, Partners Hold Press Conference on Assault on Al-Aqsa Mosque:
On April 7th, MPAC hosted a press conference on the devastating attack on worshipers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem to highlight the silence from the United States on what has become an annual atrocity. Along with our partner organizations, the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, the INKERIJ Foundation, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), we called on the U.S. government to stand up for our values, including the protection of religious freedom, by holding the Israeli government accountable for this repeated offense.

"We preach religious freedom to the rest of the world, but the only place religious freedom is not applied is in the holiest of holy cities, Jerusalem. Religious freedom is violated in Jerusalem and the United States is silent on that issue." - Salam Al-Marayati, MPAC President

Read press release here ([link removed]) .
Watch press conference here ([link removed]) .

Meeting with the Office of Senator Dianne Feinstein:
Following our press conference, MPAC led a coalition that met with a senior advisor to Senator Dianne Feinstein. We will continue to engage with members of Congress, including the California congressional delegation, in an effort to urge our leaders to stand in defense of international religious freedom, and ensure that these acts of hatred, and the ideologies behind them, come to an end. Members of the coalition included representatives of the Islamic Shura Council, CAIR-Los Angeles, and the Islamic Center of Southern California.

In Conversation with Linda Sarsour - Protecting the Right to Religious Freedom:
MPAC hosted a fireside chat with Activist Linda Sarsour and President Salam Al-Marayati to discuss the recent attack on worshipers in Al-Aqsa mosque and work to ensure that a national conversation remains on Palestine, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech.

Watch the full conversation here ([link removed]) .

Statement: Another Ramadan, Another Invasion of Al-Aqsa by Israel:
During the holiest month of the year for Muslims worldwide, cameras caught Israeli Police beating worshipers in the Al-Aqsa Mosque ([link removed]) for the third year in a row. The assault on worshipers in Al-Aqsa Mosque by the Israeli Police is yet another atrocity violating the sanctity of a religious space by an apartheid regime.

Read our full statement here ([link removed]) .

Los Angeles Interfaith Leaders Issue Statement on Al-Aqsa Mosque Desecration:
The members of the Los Angeles Council of Religious Leaders issued a statement condemning the violence enacted by the Israeli police against peaceful worshipers in Al-Aqsa mosque. Freedom of worship is a basic human right and Jerusalem should be a place of peaceful prayer for all who follow in the Abrahamic tradition – Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

Read the full statement here ([link removed]) .

MPAC at the Supreme Court:
On April 18th, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Groff v. DeJoy — a Title VII religious discrimination case that could have major implications for American Muslims, other faith communities and more broadly racial and ethnic minorities as well as low-income individuals seeking workplace accommodations to perform their religious observances.

Read full statement here ([link removed]) .

MPAC Recognized on House Floor:
During Rep. André Carson's introduction of H.Res.246 - Recognizing the commencement of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting and spiritual renewal ([link removed]) , MPAC was mentioned on the House floor. The resolution highlights the influence and contributions of the American Muslim community, and as an act of solidarity and respect for the holy month, the House of Representatives acknowledges the Islamic faith as "as one of the great religions of the world."

"Our American Muslim community is a vital contributor to our nation's diversity, as well as to the talents, perspectives, and achievements that diversity brings." - Rep. André Carson (D-IN)

MPAC will continue working with leaders to ensure the American Muslim community is a recognized and respected group within the United States.

Read the mention here ([link removed]) .

DC Policy Iftar:
During the Blessed Month of Ramadan, MPAC hosted our first Iftar in our Washington D.C. office. We provided an opportunity to bring together Democrats and Republicans, staff from Capitol Hill, members of the Biden administration, and Muslims and non-Muslims alike. This sort of diversity is necessary as we work together to advance our shared values. In my brief remarks, I asked all who attended to work in unison, so that when we come to another next Ramadan, we can say that the horrors that the world witnessed at Al-Aqsa never happen again.


Sincerely,

Mohammad H. Ali
Director of Government Relations
MPAC

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