Dubious Double Standards (And What We're Doing About Them)

"Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the [Ramadan] period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful." — 2:185

John — it’s almost time for Ramadan! I hope that for those observing, this is a month of spiritual blessings, renewal and personal growth.

Just like Ramadan, we believe that progress is a marathon! Join us this month to learn just how we are making progress in amplifying the voices of American Muslims in government, and Hollywood. We’ll be providing you updates on social media and email, so make sure you are following us!

Issue 20: Friday, 9 April 2021

— THIS WEEK IN DC —

Senate Official Rules Democrats Can Use the Fast-Track Budget Reconciliation Process to Enact Biden’s Plans, Including Infrastructure; Biden Details $2 Trillion Plan to Rebuild Infrastructure and Reshape the Economy; Gayle Smith Appointed to Lead Global Covid-19 Response; Rep. Alcee Hastings' Death Opens up a Coveted South Florida Congressional Seat and Narrows Democrats' House Majority; Memo Reveals DOJ Pushback on Domestic Terrorism Bill; Biden Announces Limited Gun Restrictions as Pressure Rises Following Mass Shootings.

FEATURED ISSUE

Diana Zeyneb Alhindawi/The New York Times

The Double Standards of U.S. Counterterrorism Efforts

For the last few decades, despite overwhelming evidence identifying white supremacy as the greatest domestic threat, government agencies and law enforcement have disproportionately targeted, surveilled, and harassed American Muslim, Black, and Brown communities under the flag of counterterrorism efforts. White supremacists, along with most white perpetrators who commit violent hate crimes, continue to avoid the over 50 statutory ‘Federal Terrorism Charges’ and statutes that pose penalties under acts of terrorism. This double standard arises from the disparate application of the foreign terrorist organization (FTO) designation to Muslim terrorist groups, allowing for law enforcement to prosecute American Muslims through material support statutes and pursue federal punishment for crimes of terrorism.

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There is help.

Due to the tragedy that struck our community in Texas last week, we would like to reiterate that mental health isn't a taboo subject, and that mental health issues, like any other health issue, will not get better without seeking treatment from professionals. Please share the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 with your network, and share the resources at Khalil Center with your family and friends.

GOOD TO KNOW

Researchers are hatching a low-cost Coronavirus vaccine
Texas family of six killed in apparent mass murder-suicide pact
Iran and U.S. agree on path back to nuclear deal
All Americans age 16 and up eligible for vaccine by April 19, White House says
Lawyers find the parents of 61 more separated migrant children
New York City police arrest man for 3 separate attacks on Asian Americans
Floyd was "trying to breathe with his fingers and knuckles" while Chauvin held him down
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky unveils agency initiative to address racism in health

— THIS WEEK IN HISTORY —

April 4, 1939 - Faisal II ascends to throne of Iraq; April 4, 1941 - German troops conquer Benghazi, Libya; April 4, 1949 - Israel & Jordan sign armistice agreement; April 4, 1955 - British government signs military treaty with Iraq; April 4, 1979 - Ex-President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan is executed; April 5, 1897 - The Greco-Turkish War, also called "Thirty Days' War", is declared between Greece and the Ottoman Empire; April 5, 1991 - US begins air drops to Kurd refugees in Northern Iraq; April 6, 2005 - Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani becomes the Iraqi president; Shiite Arab Ibrahim al-Jaafari is named premier the next day; April 7, 1988 - Russia announces it will withdraw its troops from Afghanistan; April 7, 2003 - U.S. troops capture Baghdad; Saddam Hussein's regime falls two days later; April 9, 1928 - Turkey passes separation of church & state; April 10, 1986 - Benazir Bhutto returns to Pakistan.

April 4, 1789 - 1st US Congress begins regular sessions during George Washington's presidency at Federal Hall, NYC; April 4, 1818 - Congress decides on the US flag: 13 red & white stripes & 20 stars; April 4, 1887 - Susanna Madora Salter elected 1st US woman mayor in Argonia, Kansas; April 4, 1945 - The Holocaust: US forces liberate the Ohrdruf concentration camp in Germany, the first such camp to be liberated by the US Army; April 4, 1968 - US civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated by James Earl Ray at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, TN; April 4, 1968 - Riots break out in over 100 cities in the United States following the assassination of African-American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.; April 5, 1792 - George Washington casts 1st presidential veto; April 7, 1994 - Beginning of the Rwandan Genocide; April 8, 1913 - 17th Amendment to the US Constitution is ratified by Congress, providing for election of senators by popular vote; April 8, 1960 - US Senate passes Civil Rights Bill with measures against discriminatory voting practices; April 8, 1975 - Frank Robinson debuts as 1st African American baseball manager; April 9, 1784 - Great Britain ratifies the Treaty of Paris, ending the Revolutionary War; April 9, 1865 - Confederate General Robert E. Lee and 26,765 troops surrender at Appomattox Court House, ending the Civil War; April 9, 1866 - Civil Rights Bill passes over President Andrew Johnson's veto; April 9, 1963 - Winston Churchill becomes 1st honorary US citizen; April 9, 1968 - Martin Luther King Jr., buried in Atlanta; April 9, 1989 - Washington, D.C. march supporting 1973 Roe vs Wade decision (allow abortions); April 10, 1869 - Congress increases number of Supreme Court judges from 7 to 9; April 10, 1872 - 1st National Black convention meets in New Orleans; April 10, 1960 - Senate passes landmark Civil Rights Bill; April 10, 2006 - Hundreds of thousands protest the Border Protection, Antiterrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005, H.R. 4437.

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