Friend,

By now, I’m sure you’ve seen how our Executive Director Maya Barry stood up to anti-Arab bullying last week. Maya was invited to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the increase in hate crimes affecting vulnerable communities across the United States - an area in which she’s recognized as an expert.

Instead of focusing on the topic of hate crime, some Senators used the occasion to attack Maya with the suggestion that she supports terrorism and demanded that she denounce the American students protesting Israel’s war on Gaza. Despite her repudiation of violence, the bullying continued with one Senator hurling this insult, “You should hide your head in a bag".

Throughout the ordeal, Maya retained her composure and calmly answered the questions. Maya delivered this stinging rebuke when the Committee chair offered her the closing comments.

“It is regrettable that I, as I sit here, have experienced the very issue that we are attempting to deal with today. The introduction of foreign policy is not how we keep Arab Americans or Jewish Americans or Muslim Americans or Black people or Asian Americans - anybody safe. This has been, regrettably, a real disappointment but very much an indication of the danger to our democratic institutions that we're in now. And I deeply regret that. And I do hope that my testimony today has been helpful to understanding the need to respond to hate."

Maya Berry made us proud and I know when you review the clip of her remarkable exchange she’ll make you proud too.

Most disturbing, however, was the fact that Maya’s words became prophetic. In the days since she received some hateful and threatening messages.

There are two lessons in all of this:

• hateful words of incitement can breed hateful actions.

• we can never let down our guard or back down from speaking the truth and advocating for justice.

For this, we need your continued help. And so, I’m urging you to step up at this critical time to demonstrate your support for Maya’s courage and our mission.

-Jim

Arab American Institute Foundation
1600 K Street, NW, Suite 601
Washington, DC 20006
United States

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