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Issue 38: Friday, 13 Aug 2021

THIS WEEK IN DC — Pentagon Moves to Mandate Coronavirus Vaccination for All Troops; Democrats Release $3.5 Trillion Budget Blueprint as Senate Prepares to Finish Infrastructure Debate; Fauci: Children Are Now 'Most Vulnerable' Due To Under Vaccination; Senate Democrats Adapt Sweeping $3.5 Trillion Budget That Opens the Door to Health, Education and Tax Reforms; Warren Drops Opposition to Biden’s Higher Education Nominee; As Congress Recesses, Democratic Successes Do Not Include Voting Rights; Wisconsin Democratic Rep. Ron Kind to Retire From Congress; Biden's Pick To Lead the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York Could Make History As the First Black Man to Lead The Office; Biden's Highest-Ranking Muslim Nominee Mired In GOP Blockade; Feds Warn of Potential Violence Fueled by False Election Claims; U.S. Sending 3K troops for Partial Afghan Embassy Evacuation.

IN THIS ISSUE
* Featured Issue: MPAC joins Leadership Conf. and Bend The Arc, Jewish Action in joint letter rejecting anti-Muslim bias against Dilawar Syed nomination
* Pinkwashing: Weaponization of LGBTQ Rights
* Up-and-coming:"Jewish Voice for Peace" brought to you by MPAC and ICSC
* ICYMI: “Ending Apartheid” brought to you by MPAC and ICSC
* Palestine: Share Your Story
* Israel/Palestine Legislative Tracker

FEATURED ISSUE

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** MPAC JOINS THE CALL TO REJECT ANTI-MUSLIM BIAS AGAINST DILAWAR SYED NOMINATION
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In partnership with over 200 National organizations, MPAC joins the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights along with Bend the Arc,Jewish Action, and Emgage in a letter of support for Dilawar Syed to be nominated as Deputy Administrator of the Small Business Administration. The Senate Small Business Committee initially indicated approval by voice vote and then reversed it’s decision in the recorded vote. Citing a “technicality” at time of vote recording, an email circulated by Republican SBC staff has highlighted an alarming and unacceptable effort to weaponize faith. This un-American character assassination of Mr. Syed by GOP Senators & SBC staff, to undermine his exemplary qualifications, must be called to account by SBC Leadership.

Read the letter --> ([link removed])

THIS WEEK AT MPAC


** Pinkwashing: Weaponization of LGBTW Rights
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By: Leela Cullity, Hesham Jarmankani, Ezgi Koc, Eshita Rahman, MPAC Policy Interns
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No individual, regardless of their ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs, should ever be made to feel less than their peers. Sadly, this happens too often in countries that are strong and long-standing allies of the United States, and their blatant abuse of human rights, civil rights, and civil liberties goes unchecked, with no impact on the bilateral relationship.

These same social issues and human rights have ironically become weaponized to attack, militarily or financially, countries that are not in line with the United States. This pattern of intervention under the guise of helping a marginalized community or oppressed minority has repeated itself in South Asia and other parts of the world.

LGBTQ+ rights are now being weaponized against Muslims through a campaign called pinkwashing. Pinkwashing is a strategy used to demonstrate a progressive stance on LGBTQ+ and women's rights to conceal human rights violations.

Read full article → ([link removed])

UP-AND-COMING:
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** “Jewish Voice for Peace” brought to you by MPAC and ICSC
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Each Friday, We are bringing diverse voices to the table for informative discussions on the Palestinian struggle for peace.

Join us for the next installment in our Palestine lecture series in collaboration with Islamic Center of Southern California, tonight at 7pm PT with Estee Chandler, Founder of Jewish Voice for Peace, Los Angeles.

Register here ([link removed]) and be a part of the conversation!


** ICYMI:
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** "Ending Apartheid" brought to you by MPAC and ICSC
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Did you miss our last session? Each Friday, we’re bringing diverse voices to the table for informative discussions on the Palestinian struggle for peace.

As part of our lecture series in collaboration with Islamic Center of Southern California (ICSC), we spoke with Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch to discuss the Palestinian struggle for Peace.

Watch the full webinar here --> ([link removed])

GOOD TO KNOW
* The New York Times Opinion | We Want to Hear ([link removed]) From Muslim Americans Who Grew Up in the Shadow of Sept. 11
* This Photographer Shines ([link removed]) A Light On Muslim-American Women Athletes
* American Muslims Are 2 Times More Likely To Have Attempted ([link removed]) Suicide Than Other Groups
* Taliban Seizes ([link removed]) Cities Across Afghanistan as US Readies Final Withdrawal
* Students in Gaza Celebrate ([link removed]) Passing Final Exams Despite War Trauma
* F.D.A. to Authorize ([link removed]) Third Vaccine Dose for People With Weak Immune System

LEGISLATIVE TRACKER:

Review status of key legislation on issues we're covering —

Please review our legislative tracker-- this is a resource MPAC updates on a weekly basis, allowing our supporters to see what legislation we are supporting. Our tracker includes the bill number, Representative or Senator who sponsored the bill along with a brief summary or description.
1. HR.2590 Introduced by Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4]
Referred to Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on 4/15/21
To promote and protect the human rights of Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation and to ensure that United States taxpayer funds are not used by the Government of Israel to support the military detention of Palestinian children, the unlawful seizure, appropriation, and destruction of Palestinian property and forcible transfer of civilians in the West Bank, or further annexation of Palestinian land in violation of international law.
2. S.Res.225 - Introduced by Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
Referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on 5/19/21
A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the value of Palestinian and Israeli lives and urging an immediate cease-fire and diplomatic efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
3. H.J.49 - Joint Resolution introduced in the House by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez [D-NY-14}
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on 5/20/21
A resolution calling for congressional disapproval of the proposed direct commercial sale to Israel of certain weaponry and munitions.

What can you do to help?

Contact your local congressional offices. ([link removed])

- THIS WEEK IN HISTORY -

Aug 7, 1960 - Ivory Coast declares independence from France; Aug 7, 1990 - First US Soldiers arrive in Saudi Arabia as part of Gulf War; Aug 7, 1994 - First telephone link between Israel and Jordan; Aug 7, 1998 - Bombings at US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania kill 212 people; Aug 8, 1919 - The Anglo-Afghan Treaty is signed which establishes the Durand Line as the mutual border and UK will no longer subsidize the Afghan government; Aug 8, 1947 - Pakistan’s national flag is approved; Aug 8, 1988 - Russian troops begin to pull out of Afghanistan after 8-year war; Aug 8, 1988 - Ceasefire between Iran & Iraq takes effect after 8 years of war; Aug 9, 1965 - Singapore separates from Malaysia and gains its independence; Aug 10, 610 - The traditional date of the Laylat al-Qadr, when Muhammad began to receive the Qur'an; Aug 11, 1952 - Hussein Bin Talal is proclaimed as King of Jordan; Aug 11, 1960 - Chad declares independence from France; Aug 11, 2003 - NATO takes command of the peacekeeping force
in Afghanistan; Aug 11, 1988 - Al Qaeda formed at a meeting of Osama Bin Laden, Ayman Al Zawahiri and Dr Fahl in Peshawar Pakistan.


Aug 7, 1786 - The first Indian reservation is created in the US; Aug 7, 1957 - Congress passes the civil rights act of 1957; Aug 8, 1786 - US Congress unanimously chooses the dollar as the monetary unit for the United States of America; Aug 8, 1974 - US president Richard Nixon announces his resignation effective at noon the following day; Aug 9, 1945 - US drops second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan, destroying part of the city; Aug 9, 1974 - Vice President Gerald Ford swears the oath of office to take his place as the 38th US President; Aug 10, 1821 - Missouri is admitted as 24th US state; Aug 10, 1988 - US President Ronald Reagan signs the civil liberties act of 1988 providing $20K to Japanese Americans who were sent to internment camps or relocated during World War ll; Aug 10, 1993 - Ruth Bader Ginsburg sworn in as Supreme Court justice; Aug 11, 1965 - The Watts riots begin in Los Angeles; Aug 11, 1972 - The last US combat forces leave Vietnam; Aug 12, 1992 - Canada, US and Mexico
announce completion of negotiations of NAFTA; Aug 14, 1945 - V-J Day, Japan surrenders unconditionally to end WWII.


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