Check out the latest updates from MPAC's Policy Bureau

Issue 16: May 14, 2024

A monthly spotlight on major developments from MPAC’s Policy Bureau

April 2024 in DC – The Impact of Gaza at Home ([link removed]) , MPAC Denounces USC’s Suppression of Free Speech and Academic Freedom ([link removed]) , MPAC Holds Palestine Teach-In at USC Gaza Solidarity Encampment ([link removed]) , MPAC Calls on US Government to Assess Israel’s Impact on National Security ([link removed]) , MPAC Reiterates Call to US Government to Assess Israel’s Impact on US National Security following Israeli strike on Iran ([link removed]) , Democracy Dies When Words on Paper are Just Empty Words ([link removed]) , MPAC Condemns Calls for the
National Guard to be Deployed Against Student Protestors ([link removed]) , Muslim leaders are ‘out of words’ as they tire of the White House outreach on the war in Gaza ([link removed]) , USC got it wrong in canceling valedictorian’s speech. Here’s what the school should do now ([link removed]) , Muslim Public Affairs Council condemns calls for National Guard to be deployed against protesters ([link removed]) , Unity Project hosts Salam Al-Marayati for discussion on student protests and Israeli-Palestinian conflict
([link removed]) , Candid Conversations: 2024 Presidential Election ([link removed])

The Impact of Gaza at Home ([link removed])

While Israel marches on with its genocide in Gaza, the growing trend toward McCarthyism threatens to tighten its grip on longstanding social norms and pillars of American life, including on college campuses.

On April 29, MPAC held a pivotal discussion titled “The Impact of Gaza at Home,' bringing to light the concerning use of McCarthyist tactics to stifle pro-Palestinian voices in student groups at colleges and universities nationwide.

The panel featured Mitchell Plitnick, a political analyst and President of ReThinking Foreign Policy, and Tariq Habash, a former political appointee and policy advisor in the Biden administration who resigned over disagreements with the administration’s stance on Gaza and unwavering support for Israel’s actions against Palestinians.

Plitnick and Habash both highlighted the Biden administration’s failure to address Palestinian rights, with Plitnick criticizing Biden’s attempt to overlook the decades long plight of Palestinians and normalize their lack of rights. Habash pointed out the disconnect between the administration and its voter base, noting that despite Biden’s claim to represent the American people, he is not listening to the diverse and dissenting perspectives of younger voters on the issue of Gaza and Palestine.

“For me, as a Palestinian American, Palestinian Christian, the idea that you can erase part of my identity or all of my identity, or discount any part of that humanity is really, really critical to what has led us to this point and what has allowed for the level of dehumanization we have seen.”

– Tariq Habash
Watch the Full Event Here ([link removed])
Read Our McCarthyism Paper Here ([link removed])
As we all know, pro-peace and pro-Palestinian protesters, particularly on college campuses are being accused of supporting Hamas on a near daily basis. Regrettably, the House of Representatives has intervened, seeking to criminalize free speech under the guise of countering antisemitism. The recently passed Antisemitism Awareness Act (H.R.6090) ([link removed]) aims to enshrine the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which dangerously conflates any criticism of the state of Israel and Zionism with antisemitism, potentially jeopardizing federal funding for colleges and universities.

Shortly after, the Senate was poised to take up companion legislation (S.4136 (IS) ([link removed]) to a house passed bill which would grant the Secretary of the Treasury broad discretionary authority to terminate the tax-exempt status of nonprofit organizations deemed terrorist supporting organizations. According to this legislation, there is no safeguard in place to prevent decisions being based on ideological beliefs rather than factual evidence when determining whether nonprofits are aiding terrorist groups. MPAC's Policy Bureau worked tirelessly alongside civil society organizations to ensure that this bill did not gain traction.

To effectively counter this coordinated attack, our engagement on Capitol Hill is centered around ensuring that both members of the House and Senate know how damaging each bill is individually, and ensuring they recognize the collective impact, which can fundamentally reshape how the American public is able to express itself.

MPAC has met with those on relevant committees, including House and Senate Judiciary, House Ways and Means, and Senate Finance, as well as with members who have a pro-Israel voting record, yet their past work has shown them to be supporters of free speech and have demonstrated a commitment to upholding constitutional rights and fostering open debate on matters of significance rather than suppressing dissent. We will also continue to engage our allies on Capitol Hill to ensure they are well-informed about the consequences of these bills and have the necessary language and information to oppose the passage of this legislation

MPAC Hosts Community Conversation with AAG Kristen Clarke

With so many students facing discrimination and harassment on campus, MPAC hosted a powerful discussion on the safety of our communities with Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice Kristen Clarke. This conversation served as an opportunity for our students to have an open discussion and voice their experiences and honest concerns on Islamophobia, Antisemitism, police brutality, and more.

MPAC thanks all the students that joined this important conversation. We look forward to continuing this dialogue and building safer communities for our students. During the meeting, we referenced several resources. The links to those documents are below.

Department of Justice
* RESOURCE PAGE: Addressing Hate Targeting Jewish, Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian Communities ([link removed])
* RESOURCE SHEET: Confronting Discrimination Based on Religion in Schools: A Resource for Students and Families ([link removed])
* RESOURCE SHEET: Combating Religious Discrimination ([link removed])
* RESOURCE SHEET: Combating National Origin Discrimination ([link removed])
* RESOURCE SHEET: Non-Discrimination in Public Accommodations ([link removed])
* RESOURCE SHEET: Federal Religious Land Use Protections ([link removed])
* FBI Releases 2022 Crime in the Nation Statistics ([link removed])


Department of Education
* Dear Colleague Letter: Addressing Discrimination Against Muslim, Arab, Sikh, South Asian, Hindu, and Palestinian Students ([link removed])
* Dear Colleague Letter: Discrimination, including Harassment, Based on Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics ([link removed])
* RESOURCE SHEET: Protecting Students from Discrimination Based on Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics ([link removed])

MPAC Denounces USC’s Suppression of Free Speech and Academic Freedom ([link removed])
MPAC was outraged by the University of Southern California’s (USC) decision to cancel the valedictorian speech at this year’s commencement. The verdict came after pressure from pro-Israel critics who have harassed Asna Tabassum, the 2024 valedictorian, online for her support of Palestine. The exclusion of a student leader from a role she has earned on the basis of academic and personal merit infringes on academic freedoms, and is emblematic of a broader assault on free speech, targeting voices that advocate for Palestinian rights.

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

MPAC Holds Palestine Teach-In at USC Gaza Solidarity Encampment ([link removed])
[link removed]
MPAC President Salam Al-Marayati joined students at USC’s Gaza Solidarity Encampment to hold a teach-in on the history of Palestine and highlight the current silencing and persecution of pro-Palestinian voices across the nation.
Watch the Full Teach-In Here ([link removed])

MPAC Calls on US Government to Assess Israel’s Impact on National Security ([link removed])
On April 1st, Israel attacked the Iranian consulate in Syria, violating international law and resulting in the deaths of senior Iranian military officers. The strike on Iranian sovereign territory marked a dangerous escalation in ongoing tensions. In response, Iran launched an unprecedented attack on multiple Israeli military installations.

Tensions are running high both in the Middle East and at home in America. As we confront this crisis, it is important to examine the contributing factors to this situation, particularly the US’s inadequate response to Israel’s gruesome human rights violations.

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

This statement was also sent as a letter to President Biden highlighting the ways that Israel's actions have demonstrated a disregard for America's security interests in the Middle East.

MPAC Reiterates Call to US Government to Assess Israel’s Impact on US National Security following Israeli strike on Iran ([link removed])
Israel’s strike on Iran further heightened tensions in the region, moving the conflict closer to a wider regional war. In the hours following the attack, the White House remained largely silent. The Biden Administration’s attempt to distance itself from Israel’s decision to launch a counteroffensive on Iran does not absolve the US from their role in the escalation of tensions across the entire region.

The Biden Administration has given no indication to American citizens that our concerns are being recognized by our government. Our democratic principles are being undermined as governmental power is misused to criminalize dissent and American citizens are being arrested for voicing their constitutionally protected opposition to our foreign policy decisions.

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

Democracy Dies When Words on Paper are Just Empty Words ([link removed])

Amid ongoing protests by pro-Palestinian and anti-genocide student advocates at Columbia and other universities, the White House issued a response condemning violence and physical intimidation against Jewish students. MPAC strongly denounces any form of hate or discrimination on college campuses. However, it comes as no surprise that the Biden Administration consistently fails to extend the same sentiments to students who face repeated violence, intimidation, doxing, and harassment for their pro-Palestinian advocacy.

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

MPAC Condemns Calls for the National Guard to be Deployed Against Student Protestors ([link removed])

This crackdown on students with an overwhelming militaristic force has set a dangerous precedent for university administrations nationwide. The militarization of our educational institutions and the deployment of overwhelming police forces against students engaging in peaceful protests is a deeply alarming development that is not only a threat to the safety of students but also to the democratic values of discourse and dissent that add value to our nation’s security.

The severity of this response to peaceful pro-Palestinian protest— drawing attention to those who are complicit in enabling the genocide in Gaza— is deeply disturbing and not aligned with the principles of protection that the National Guard should embody.

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


** In the Media
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Los Angeles Times
USC got it wrong in canceling valedictorian’s speech. Here’s what the school should do now ([link removed])
[link removed]

This article was authored by Salam Al-Marayati, MPAC President and David N. Myers, distinguished professor of Jewish history at UCLA.

Universities should resist the toxic political culture that locks us in our echo chambers, where we are exposed only to those views that are to our liking. Students shouldn’t become passive followers who seek a diploma just to get a job. We want and need our students to be leaders; they need to encounter divergent and challenging perspectives that allow for innovation and the production of knowledge that can serve society.

Read the full op-ed here ([link removed]) .

CNN Business
Muslim Public Affairs Council condemns calls for National Guard to be deployed against protesters ([link removed])

Amid arrests of pro-Palestine protesters across universities, the Muslim Public Affairs Council condemned calls for the deployment of the National Guard, saying the “crackdown on students with an overwhelming militaristic force has set a dangerous precedent for university administrations nationwide.”

MPAC urged for a reevaluation of strategies used to handle protests on campuses across the country and says it advocates for “approaches that emphasize de-escalation and address students’ concerns through constructive means rather than force and intimidation.

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

The Vanderbilt Hustler
Unity Project hosts Salam Al-Marayati for discussion on student protests and Israeli-Palestinian conflict ([link removed])

When answering a question about his experience growing up as a college student in the 1980s during the anti-apartheid movement, Al-Marayati said the conflict taught him that college campuses are the “perfect place” for discourse around global issues.

“It is designed to be a part of civil society. That will be that buffer that is actually part of the checks and balances against what status quo government policy is,” Al-Marayati said.

“I hope that Vanderbilt can be one of those places where we have that idea of reinvigoration of these ideals. And I believe that American Muslims can be an integral part of that process...”

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

Associated Press
Muslim leaders are ‘out of words’ as they tire of the White House outreach on the war in Gaza ([link removed])
[link removed]

Salam Al-Marayati and members of his organization did participate in meetings with officials from the National Security Council and the State Department, but he soured on the conversations.

“We realized they were not listening,” Al-Marayati said. “Maybe they were nodding when we were speaking, but they were continuing with the same policy.”

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


** In Case You Missed It:
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Candid Conversations: 2024 Presidential Election ([link removed])

With the 2024 election year underway, it is important that we remember that our votes and our voices matter. We’ve invited all of the 2024 Presidential candidates for a discussion to get a better understanding of their views and positions. Together, we can make sure that we each have the knowledge to make informed choices at the ballot box this year.

[link removed]

In our latest conversation, MPAC President Salam Al-Marayati sat down with Dr. Cornel West ([link removed]) . During the discussion, Dr. West called out the U.S. as enablers in Israel’s crimes of genocide against the Palestinian people and emphasized the Biden Administration’s dismissive stance towards both voters and other political leaders calling for an end to Israeli occupation. They also discussed the increasing police presence and lack of mental health resources in public schools, the over-surveillance of communities of color, and the growing need to better protect vulnerable communities.

Catch up with all videos here ([link removed]) .

NOTE:
This is for educational purposes only and not an endorsement. We’ve invited all candidates to get a better understanding of their views and positions and will issue each recording as they are completed.

Stay tuned for more Candid Conversations!

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