Dear John,

In recent days, Emgage and notable Muslim American organizations held a series of meetings with the Biden-Harris transition team to ensure that our diverse communities are represented in the incoming administration and that campaign promises are fulfilled.

Senior Appointments: We joined a coalition of Muslim organizations in sending a letter and meeting with transition team members, where we requested that Muslims be included at every level of the incoming administration, including senior and Senate confirmed positions.

Islamophobia: We asked for the adoption of a standard definition of Islamophobia and training across all federal agencies, especially the law enforcement and educational sectors.

Muslim Ban: We stressed the importance of not only rescinding the Muslim Ban on day one, but also supporting the passage of the NO BAN Act in Congress to ensure that no future administration adopts similar discriminatory policies. 

Immigration and Refugees: We highlighted the need for comprehensive immigration reform and rehabilitation of our broken refugee and asylum systems, which place duplicative and at times biased hurdles against Muslims and travelers from Muslim majority countries.

Racial Justice and Police Reform: We called for meaningful criminal justice reform and police accountability measures to address systemic racism and violence against Black and Brown communities. 

Human Rights: We stressed the importance of values-based foreign policy that engages meaningfully in support of democratic values and civilian protection. We specifically raised the need to protect and uphold the freedoms of Syrians, Yemenis, Palestinians, Kashmiris, Indian minorities including Muslims, Rohingya, Uyghurs, and other communities facing persecution.

For all of these critical issues, we offered the partnership and expertise of the Muslim American community and noted the importance of including us during the deliberation phase.

Click here to read our letter to President-elect Joe Biden.

      

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