Issue 51: Friday, 12 Nov 2021

THIS WEEK IN DC — Biden Administration Wrestles With Selling Armed Drones To Indonesia; Judge Again Rejects Trump’s Effort To Delay Jan. 6 Committee’s Bid For His White House Records; U.S. And China Step To Forefront As Climate Talks Near End Game; Biden Isn’t Stopping Assad’s Comeback; Corporate Execs Call On White House To Fight Inflation; N.J. Man Hit With Toughest Sentence Yet In Jan. 6 Attack; White House Confirms Biden To Host Trudeau, López Obrador Next Week; U.S. Consumer Prices Jumped 6.2% In Past Year, Most Since 1990; Businesses Warn Of 'Irreparable Harm' If No Permanent Stay Of Biden Vaccine Rule; Biden Denounces Efforts To Strip Republicans Who Supported Infrastructure Of Committee Standing.

IN THIS ISSUE

Featured Issue: India: A Litmus Test for U.S. Foreign Policy
Save the Date: MPAC's Free Virtual Convention

India: A Litmus Test for U.S. Foreign Policy
By: Prema Rahman, MPAC Policy Analyst, and Amine Ben Naceur, MPAC Non-Resident Senior Policy Fellow

Image via Deccan Herald

Last week, we wrote about the rise of religious intolerance in India and its troubling implications for South Asia and America. In today’s piece, we dive deeper into potential policy solutions. Read the first part here.

In 2014, the radical Hindu-nationalist, Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power as Prime Minister. Since his ascension to the throne, what was once referred to as the world's largest democracy has now been degraded to a “partially free democracy”, with some even going so far as to calling India an “electoral autocracy”.

Modi has been in feverish pursuit of transforming India--an ethnically and religious diverse nation of over a billion people--into his vision of a religiously and ideologically homogeneous country.

If unchecked by the United States, the Hindu-nationalist policies of the Modi government will not only affect the lives of millions of South Asians in America, but it will also bring into question the authenticity and efficacy of President Joe Biden’s promise to “meet this new moment of advancing authoritarianism” through our foreign policy

Read full article →

Upcoming:

Save the date for MPAC’s free virtual convention on Sunday, Dec 5th! We are excited for this year’s event as we explore our collective journey as Americans, as Muslims and as a community: The Story of Us.

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GOOD TO KNOW

Nation's first all-Muslim City Council is elected in Michigan
After FBI spying, Muslim Americans ask Supreme Court to OK religious bias suit
Mehdi Hasan talks with Dearborn’s first Muslim Mayor
New poll shows Americans who trust conservative media outlets more likely to believe COVID-19 misinformation
Federal judge says Texas governor’s ban on school mask mandates violates Americans with Disabilities Act
'Legacy American' is the latest catchphrase in the racist lexicon

- THIS WEEK IN HISTORY -

Nov 7, 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattāb, Second caliph of Islam, dies of injuries after assassination attempt 4 days earlier; Nov 7, 994 - Muhammad ibn Hazm, Andalusian historian, jurist and author of Islamic Spain, born in Córdoba, Caliphate of Córdoba (d. 1064); Nov 9, 694 - Spanish King Egica accuses Jews of aiding Muslims and sentenced to slavery; Nov 10, 1444 - Battle at Varna, Black Sea: Sultan Murad II defeats crusaders; Nov 11, 1606 - The Ottoman Empire & Austria sign Treaty of Zsitva-Torok.

Nov 7, 1805 - Lewis and Clark Expedition first sights the Pacific Ocean at the mouth of the Columbia River; Nov 7, 1874 - First cartoon depicting elephant as Republican Party symbol, by Thomas Nast; Nov 8, 1701 - William Penn presents Charter of Privileges, guaranteed religious freedom for the colony in Pennsylvania; Nov 8, 1731 - In Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin opens 1st library in the north American colonies; Nov 9, 1526 - Jews are expelled from Pressburg (Bratislava), Hungary, by Maria of Hapsburg; Nov 9, 1620 - After a month of delays off the English coast and about two months at sea, the Mayflower spots land (Cape Cod); Nov 10, 1775 - The Second Continental Congress forms Continental Marines, precursor to the United States Marine Corps; Nov 10, 1919 - American Legion's 1st national convention (Minneapolis); Nov 11, 1647 - Massachusetts passes first compulsory school attendance law in the American colonies; Nov 11, 1807 - Washington Irving's Salmagundi periodical published - first to associate the name "Gotham" with New York City; Nov 12, 1910 - First possible movie stunt: man jumps into the Hudson river from a burning balloon; Nov 12, 1923 - In Germany, Adolf Hitler is arrested for attempt to seize power during "Beer Hall Putsch" coup; Nov 13, 1789 - Benjamin Franklin writes "Nothing . . . certain but death & taxes"; Nov 13, 1839 - First US anti-slavery party, Liberty Party, convenes in NY.

Founded in 1988, the Muslim Public Affairs Council improves public understanding and policies that impact American Muslims by engaging our government, media, and communities. Our policy analysts provide insight from D.C. to the palm of your hand on the most pressing issues impacting American Muslims. Email is an important way for us to communicate with supporters like you. Should you want to stop hearing from us or change your preferences, click here to update your contact info or unsubscribe.

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