Hi, Name,
I need to make two important points today. This is a bit of a long email, but I wanted you to hear this from me directly.
Maybe these are unpopular points to make while running for U.S. Congress, but I've never been one to compromise on my values of upholding justice.
POINT ONE: On 9/11 we mourn 2977 fellow Americans. Innocent people viciously ripped away from us by terrorists and extremists. We pray for the 2977 departed, we remember them, and we cherish their memories. But we can't stop there.
In the 22 years since we've lost 10,000 American soldiers, over 1 Million Afghan & Iraqi civilians, & wasted $8 trillion on the "war on terror." And we are no safer or closer to peace or justice today than we were back then.
After 22 long, painful years, my prayer is that our future policies are not built on invasion and war, but on justice and diplomacy, on accountability and transparency. On our Constitutional promise of due process and human rights.
POINT TWO: Please don’t whitewash post 9/11 America by calling us a "unified" country on 9/12.
If even after 22 years you think the weeks or months after 9/11 were days of unity, you haven't been paying attention to the BIPOC & Muslims in your life who feared for our safety & suffered a massive spike in hate crimes for something we had nothing to do with.
Yes, the myth of "unity" means ignoring that massive spike in anti-Muslim, anti-Hindu, anti-Sikh, and anti-Arab hate crimes. It means ignoring the Patriot Act (which even some Democrats in Congress still recklessly vote for), NYPD warrantless spying on American citizens who are Muslim, dozens of states who tried to pass "anti-Shariah" bills, Guantanamo Bay, CIA torture, drone strikes, & the Muslim Ban—all which denied the justice our Constitution promises.
These are all connected.
The "unity" was if you unquestionably supported what George W called "a crusade." Otherwise, you were unpatriotic. "You're either with us, or you're with the terrorists," W famously said—whitewashing objections to killing of hundreds of thousands of Afghan & Iraqi civilians.
Instead, the unity we actually need is unity built on justice, as our Constitution requires. On ensuring we do not scapegoat innocent people, but always uphold due process for all people—especially when it's hard.
If we can't uphold justice when it's hard, it was never justice we upheld.
Revisionist history of "unity" undermines the lived experiences of BIPOC & Muslims. Let's instead reflect on our past errors, & ensure a future nation built on justice.
Today we mourn those lost over the last 22 years. The people lost, the opportunities lost, and the rights lost. And the best way to honor what we lost, is to ensure we truly uphold justice for the next 22 years, and beyond, to demand true justice for all. I'm grateful for all y'all's love. Just remember, love isn't a word, it's meaningful action for justice.
That's why I'm a human rights lawyer. That's why I'm running for U.S. Congress. And that's why I hope you join us in this fight for justice, because justice truly can't wait. ❤️
Click HERE to donate to my campaign and to bring our fight for justice to Washington:
Click HERE to share my latest video, where I share these points directly:
