Dear John,
We owe you a debt of gratitude. Adjusting to our new normal has not been easy for anyone, and yet you were there by our side as we embarked on new initiatives like our Campaign for Human Security, Tale of Two Futures, and Mustard Seed Project. Together, we took to the polls and ensured American Muslims were represented in historic numbers in the 2020 election. You made our first ever virtual gala a night to remember, showed up to reflect with us in our weekly Quran classes, and joined us to discuss the most pressing issues on the Hill and Hollywood in our webinar series.
From our family to yours, thank you for being an unshakeable light in this truly memorable year. The road ahead may be fraught with obstacles, but we’ve already overcome so much together. Trust that we’ll never give up on you or on our mission of seeing that American Muslims have a voice in government, Hollywood, the media, and community, for a more inclusive America for all.
There’s work to be done. We’re grateful to be in this fight for you.
In peace,
Salam & Your MPAC Family
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Our New Year's Resolution: Walking the Talk in 2021
By: Iman Ali, Adam Beddawi, M Baqir Mohie El-Deen, Prema Rahman
As we enter 2021, the idea of leaving 2020 in the dustbin of history is alluring. While a hellish year, it is important to reflect on all that made 2020 a pivotal moment in the history of our nation and faith community. This past year, we persevered through a pandemic, engaged in the American political process to record degrees, and rallied popular support and organizational resources toward the fight for racial justice. But we also endured over 340,000 COVID-related deaths, the highest unemployment rate since the Great Depression, and over 100,000 small business closures, the vast majority of which are permanent. These catastrophic consequences were not necessary parts of post-pandemic life. From the onset of the pandemic, the Trump administration and HHS response to the crisis had been woefully slow and inadequate. Health care workers nationwide scrambled to put together rudimentary PPE to combat the worst public health crisis of our lifetime while our government was stuck deliberating emergency spending. Since then, the government has passed three legislative responses to the health and economic consequences of COVID-19, but the American people continue to suffer.
After an absolutely chaotic past four years, we successfully voted out President Trump, and a multicultural, multi-ethnic coalition elected the first African-American, South Asian, female Vice President, who is also the child of immigrants, in our nation’s history. With all of the work MPAC does toward inclusion at every level of government, media, and civil society, this was a huge step forward and cause for celebration. We are hopeful about the prospects of engagement with the Biden-Harris administration. Joe Biden’s pledge to repeal the Muslim Ban on Day One of his term may reflect an administration committed to working with us and not against us. We look forward to working in collaboration with other Muslim civic organizations to ensure that the rights of American Muslims are restored and upheld.
Continue reading →
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A lot has happened in 2020, we’ve captured some of the key moments below:
- January 3 - America assassinates General Qasem Soleimani, Iran's top-ranking military commander.
- January 21 - U.S. confirms its first COVID-19 case.
- February 5 - Trump acquitted on two charges of impeachment.
- March 26 - America leads the world with highest confirmed cases of coronavirus.
- March 27 - Trump signs $2 trillion COVID-19 economic stimulus bill.
- April 15 - Trump pulls the US out of World Health Organization (WHO).
- May 26 - The murder of George Floyd sparks peaceful demonstrations in Minneapolis, which eventually devolves into violent protests and a national debate.
- July 10 - Postmaster General Louis DeJoy makes policy changes that lead to delays across the country impacting vote by mail. DeJoy, after congressional pressure, defers the action and changes till after the election. Trump openly opposes this reversal.
- July 17 - Rep. John Lewis dies after a six-month battle with cancer.
- September 18 - Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies due to complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer. Trump nominates Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative federal appeals court judge, to succeed Ginsburg on the US Supreme Court.
- November 7 - Various news sources call the election, giving President-elect Joe Biden 279 electoral votes and President Trump 214. The results also make Vice President-elect Kamala Harris the first female VP, as well as the first African and Asian American to win the title.
- December 11 - FDA approves Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use.
- December 23 - Trump's demand for $2,000 stimulus checks imperils relief bill, pushes Nancy Pelosi to schedule pro-forma House vote; Trump vetoes NDAA.
- December 27 - Second stimulus package signed by Trump with $600 payout after Trump threatened to veto it.
- December 29 - $2,000 payout passes the House, but McConnell blocks it from passing the Senate; House overrides Trump’s veto of the NDAA.
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This Week In History
Jan. 1, 630, Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) sets out with his army towards Mecca, capturing it bloodlessly; Jan. 2, 1492, Muhammad XII, the last Emir of Granada, surrenders his city to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabel I of Castile, ending both the Reconquista and centuries of Muslim rule in the Iberian peninsula; Jan. 2, 1947, Mahatma Gandhi begins march for peace in East Bengal.
Dec. 27, 1945, International Monetary Fund formally established by 29 member countries based on ideas of Harry Dexter White and John Maynard Keynes; Dec. 28, 1860, Harriet Tubman arrives in Auburn, New York, on her last mission to free slaves, having evaded capture for 8 years on the Underground Railroad; Jan. 1, 1863, Emancipation Proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln to free slaves in US confederate states; Jan. 1, 1892, Ellis Island opens as a US immigration inspection station - it would go on to be the gateway to the US for more than 12 million people.
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