John,

I serve in Congress with three other Muslim Americans: André Carson (IN-07), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), and Lateefah Simon (CA-12).

Last month when our colleagues on both sides of the aisle used hateful, Islamophobic, and racist tropes against Zohran Mamdani, we released a joint statement speaking out against these attacks. We know this fearmongering all too well, as Muslim Americans in public office.

We’re reminding our colleagues that Muslims are human beings who deserve to be represented in Congress. Our presence in Congress sends a message to Muslim Americans and other marginalized people that they belong here, in this country and in our government.

Lateefah, André, Ilhan, and I are trying to save lives both at home and abroad. They’ve joined me in calling for the U.S. government to end its complicity in Israel’s forced starvation of Palestinians, and in recognizing 77 years of the ongoing Nakba. All of us are backing a historic bill to restrict weapons to Israel. André—whose AIPAC-backed Democratic primary opponent has already launched ads against him—is also leading legislation to restore UNRWA funding.

Unlike the majority of our colleagues, none of us take money from AIPAC.

With your support, we will keep holding the U.S. and Israeli governments accountable for war crimes. We’ll keep demanding our colleagues join us in standing with the majority of Americans who want our government to stop sending weapons to Israel’s military.

If you agree that our voices belong in Congress, will you chip in today to our joint PAC for Muslim Representatives, The Empowerment Fund?

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your secure donation will go through immediately, with 100% going directly toThe Empowerment Fund

Thank you for having our backs. With your support, we will continue resisting the growing dehumanization and violence against Muslim Americans, immigrants, people of color, Palestinians, and other marginalized communities.

André Carson and I have both led policies to uplift and honor Muslim Americans, and each year we all hold Congressional Iftar dinners to celebrate Ramadan at the Capitol with our colleagues.

We represent a community that’s often unseen, which motivates us to lift up the voices of all people who’ve felt unseen by our government.

Even as we face death threats and anti-Muslim attacks, we will not stop fighting back against Trump’s attacks on our constituents and against Republicans’ cuts to lifesaving programs. For example, we’re leading the fight against Trump’s racist African and Muslim ban.

We will keep pushing our colleagues in Congress to move with the majority of their constituents and invest in their communities’ needs rather than sending U.S. bombs to massacre Palestinian children.

Please stand with us today and donate to our joint PAC, The Empowerment Fund. Any donation you can make will help me, André Carson, Ilhan Omar, and Lateefah Simon stay in Congress fighting for you.

Thank you so much for having our backs. Everywhere I go, I see people protesting against ICE and calling for a free Palestine. People of all backgrounds are with us, and it’s time to make sure our government actually represents the American people.

Together we will keep building toward equity, dignity, and safety for all.

In solidarity,

Rashida

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Rashida Tlaib
Date: Sat, Aug 2, 2025
Subject: I’m one of four Muslim Representatives in Congress
To: [email protected]

John,

I’m one of four Muslim people now serving in Congress.

We see people of all faiths and ethnicities as human beings who deserve dignity and safety. But many of our colleagues have normalized anti-Muslim hate, calling us terrorists and endangering our lives just because of our faith.

(from left to right, photo shows André Carson, Ilhan Omar, Lateefah Simon, and me)

Together we’re demanding an end to the growing dehumanization and violence against vulnerable communities, including immigrants, Muslim Americans, and Palestinians.

We’re pushing our colleagues to listen to the majority of Americans and stop enabling this genocide of the Palestinian people.

Unlike most of our colleagues in Congress, we don’t take money from AIPAC. Our stances make us targets of pro-genocide groups and their far-right billionaire donors. For example, André Carson has an electoral opponent who brags about being backed by AIPAC.

If you agree that our voices belong in Congress, will you chip in today to support the re-election campaigns of Muslim Representatives Ilhan Omar (MN-05), André Carson (IN-07), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), and me?

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your secure donation will go through immediately, with 100% going directly toThe Empowerment Fund

Last month, Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary for New York City mayor, with more votes than any prior NYC mayoral primary election. His positions align with our voting base, including fighting for human rights and for everyone to have what they need to thrive.

But our colleagues on both sides of the aisle attacked him. Ilhan, Lateefah, André, and I released a shared statement to call out the vile, anti-Muslim, and racist smears against him.

At least 50% of Muslim Americans have experienced religious discrimination, which André Carson recognized in his congressional resolution to honor Muslim Americans.

As Muslim Americans in public office, we get death threats daily—but that will never silence us.

We’re standing with the American people, the majority of whom now want us to end the genocide in Gaza. Seven out of ten democrats want an arms embargo. The majority of Americans have an unfavorable view of the government of Israel, including many Jewish neighbors. Congress can't keep ignoring the fact that our country is done funding a genocide. It is harder now than ever to ignore it.

Lateefah, André, Ilhan, and I are listening and demanding an end to U.S. complicity in Israel’s war crimes. We all support policies to block weapons to Israel’s military and to commemorate the ongoing Nakba. André is leading legislation to restore funding to UNRWA and get aid into Gaza. Ilhan, who survived war as a child, is leading the push for a foreign policy that centers diplomacy rather than militarism and offered multiple amendments to stop the funding of the genocide.

We’re pushing to save lives at home and abroad, so we’re also championing policies to defend our immigrant neighbors, expand our civil rights, guarantee access to healthcare and other lifesaving needs, and make life more affordable for working class people.

We will keep calling on our colleagues in Congress to listen to the majority of Americans and stop enabling war crimes against Palestinians. Will you stand with us and donate to our shared PAC, The Empowerment Fund, today?

Thank you for having our backs. Please keep speaking up for our shared humanity and demanding human rights for all people—no matter their faith or ethnicity. Our colleagues in Congress are feeling the pressure.

In solidarity,

Rashida