Issue 52: Friday, 19 Nov 2021

THIS WEEK IN DC — Congresswoman Debbie Dingell's HALT (Honoring Abbas Family Legacy To Terminate Drunk Driving) Act Becomes Law; Senate Republicans Stall Confirmation Of Muslim American SBA Nominee Dilawar Syed; Biden Temporarily Hands Powers To Harris During Medical Procedure; Dems' $1.7T Spending Bill Clears House, But Senate Changes Loom; Justice Department To Defend Tech Protections Biden Denounced; Schumer, McConnell Turn Down The Heat On Debt Limit Fight; Senate Leaders Want To Fast-track Debate On Ukraine, Afghanistan, War Powers; FCC To Vote On Allowing Texts To Suicide Hotline; Biden’s War On Inflation Is A Battle To Change Human Behavior.

IN THIS ISSUE

 

  • Statement: Rittenhouse Acquittal
  • Featured Issue: Rittenhouse Acquittal and the Stench of White Power
  • Upcoming: MPAC's Free Virtual Convention

 

 

Let not today's decision on Kyle Rittenhouse's acquittal sway our work for Justice. This is why solidarity and a collective vision as a community must prevail over an unjust society. This is "The Other America" Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of. We are approaching even more challenging times. We have a Holy Speech that says "Establish weight with justice and fall not short in the balance." (Quran, 55:9)

We now work to create a lobbying coalition that will support our own moral values. Let this moment motivate lawful Speech and Righteousness; do not let it rest in the hearts of the believer. We stand with the oppressed, marginalized, and ignored.

— Umar Hakim-Dey, MPAC's African American Muslim Insight Council Chair
 

Rittenhouse Acquittal and the Stench of White Power
By: Prema Rahman, MPAC Policy Analyst
Image credit: AP

 

The acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse reeks of white privilege and further exposes the inherently flawed justice system in America. 

The message from the Wisconsin jury is clear: if you are a white man in this nation, you can walk free with blood on your hands. Accountability only comes into question when a suspect or perpetrator is a person of color, with the public vilification and punishment becoming far worse if the person is Black. The hard, unacceptable reality is, had a Black man committed the crimes that Rittenhouse committed, the jury would have found him guilty on all counts. 

Read full article → 
 

Upcoming:

 

Join us 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. 

As we move toward a post-Covid world, join us as we showcase our progress, hear from key figures from entertainment and government, and look to the next chapter in our story.

Reserve your free ticket →  

 

GOOD TO KNOW

  • Kyle Rittenhouse is acquitted of all charges in the trial over killing 2 in Kenosha
  • As G.O.P. fights mask and vaccine mandates, Florida takes the lead
  • U.S. is ‘considering’ diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics, Biden says
  • Suspended Texas doctor who promoted ivermectin as Covid treatment resigns from hospital
  • Filmmaker Aizzah Fatima’s talks making the first Muslim-American romcom
  • Arab American MetLife tailgate honors Jets' Robert Saleh, first Muslim head coach in NFL
     

 

- THIS WEEK IN HISTORY - 

Nov 16, 1240 - al-'Arabi, Muslim mystic and philosopher (The Meccan Revelations), dies at 75; Nov 16, 1922 - Ottoman Caliph, Sultan Mehmed VI asks the British army for help; Nov 16, 1950 - Egyptian King Faruk demands departure of all British troops; Nov 16, 1955 - Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ben Yussuph V returns to Morocco; Nov 16, 1984 - Imran Khan makes his 1st appearance for NSW Cricket; Nov 16, 1988 - Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto's PPP wins 1st free Pakistani elections in 11 years; Nov 18, 1941 - Mussolini's forces leave Abyssinia (Ethiopia); Nov 19, 1899 - Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei, Iranian influential Shia Islamic scholar, born in Khoy, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran (d. 1992).

 

Nov 14, 1792 - Captain George Vancouver is first Englishman to enter San Francisco Bay; Nov 14, 1908 - Albert Einstein presents his quantum theory of light; Nov 15, 1727 - NY General assembly permits Jews to omit phrase "upon the faith of a Christian" from abjuration oath; Nov 15, 1777 - Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, is approved by the Continental Congress; Nov 16, 1985 - President Reagan arrives in Geneva for a summit with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev; Nov 17, 1800 - Congress holds its 1st session in Washington, D.C. in an incomplete Capitol Building; Nov 17, 1962 - US President JFK dedicates Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C.; Nov 18, 1872 - Suffragette Susan B. Anthony is arrested by a U.S. Deputy Marshal and charged with illegally voting; Nov 18, 1964 - J. Edgar Hoover describes Martin Luther King as "most notorious liar"; Nov 19, 1805 - Lewis and Clark expedition reaches the Pacific Ocean, first European Americans to cross the west; Nov 19, 1861 - The first petroleum shipment (1,329 barrels) from the U.S. to Europe leaves Philadelphia, USA, for London, England on the Elizabeth Watts; Nov 20, 1789 - New Jersey is 1st state to ratify Bill of Rights; Nov 20, 1914 - US State Department starts requiring photographs for passports.
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.

Your support makes our work possible!
View online here.
Follow us.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube
If you would like to make a donation to MPAC today, please donate here.
Donate