Issue 71: Friday, 1 April 2022

As Ramadan approaches, we look forward to this special time when our communities come together to reflect, grow, and enrich one another. As we write the next chapter in the beautiful Story of Us, we recognize the need to fulfill the promise of America for ALL of us. Today, we face challenges and vulnerabilities as Muslims, as Americans, and as practitioners of our shared values. That is why our work to uphold these values and meet the unfulfilled promise of America is so critical.

As you plan your Ramadan giving, consider a zakat-eligible investment in our collective future by making a gift to MPAC today. Whether you give $20 or $1000, your contribution to MPAC moves forward our story as a vibrant and diverse part of the story of America.

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THIS WEEK IN DC— Sen. Susan Collins To Vote To Confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson To Supreme Court; President Biden Makes Lynching A Federal Hate Crime With The Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act; CIA Director Tests Positive For Covid-19; Treasury Hits Russia With New Sanctions Targeting Evasion Networks, Tech; House Passes Insulin Bill Over Insurers' Opposition; Psaki Will Leave White House In Spring For MSNBC; U.S. Providing Ukraine With Equipment To Protect Against Chemical Attacks; C.D.C. Confirms It Will Lift Public Health Order Restricting Immigration; House Committee Opens Investigation Into Amazon’s Labor Practices.

In the Spirit of Ramadan, Let Us Remember

By: MPAC Policy Bureau

Image credit: WFP/Marco Frattini

For billions of Muslims worldwide, this weekend marks the beginning of Ramadan. As we approach this holy month, it is important for us to remember those among us who are less fortunate, particularly those within our faith community who have suffered as victims of war, poverty, and humanitarian crises. American Muslims number in the millions within the United States–that’s millions of us who, by sheer virtue of being American, enjoy certain privileges that are otherwise unattainable for far too many people in other parts of the world. That is why it is all the more incumbent upon us to increase our charity and compassion this Ramadan...

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GOOD TO KNOW

DHS creates Customs and Border Protection community relations position for Michigan’s Arab and Muslim Americans
As bombs fall, Muslims in Ukraine face difficult Ramadan
'Palestine Way': Paterson to recognize Palestinian community with street renaming
Susan Dabaja appointed to Wayne County Circuit Court

- THIS WEEK IN HISTORY -

Mar 28, 1962 - Military coup in Syria, President Nazim al-Kudsi flees; Mar 29, 1949 - Turkey recognizes Israel; Mar 30, 1976 - Israel kills 6 Palestinians protesting land confiscation; Mar 30, 1984 - US ends participation in multinational Lebanon peace force; Mar 31, 1992 - UN Security Council voted to ban flights & arms sales to Libya; Apr 1, 1974 - Ayatollah Khomeini calls for an Islamic Republic in Iran; Apr 1, 1983 - Iraq increases missile attacks on Iran; Apr 2, 1453 - Turkish forces under Sultan Mehmed II begin the siege of Constantinople (Istanbul), which falls May 29; Apr 2, 1917 - Jeannette Rankin (Rep-R-MT) begins her term as first woman member of US House of Reps; Apr 2, 1979 - Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin meets Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in Cairo; Apr 2, 2002 - Israeli forces surround the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem into which armed Palestinians had retreated. A siege ensues.

Mar 28, 1796 - Bethel African Methodist Church of Philadelphia is 1st US-African church; Mar 28, 1799 - New York State abolishes slavery; Mar 28, 1804 - Ohio passes law restricting movement of Blacks; Mar 29, 1852 - Ohio makes it illegal for children under 18 and women to work more than 10 hours a day; Mar 29, 1961 - 23rd Amendment to the US Constitution ratified, allowing Washington, D.C. residents to vote in presidential elections; Mar 30, 1870 - 15th Amendment to the US constitution is adopted, guarantees right to vote regardless of race; Mar 30, 1981 - US President Ronald Reagan is shot and wounded in an assassination attempt by John Hinckley, three others are also wounded; Mar 31, 1736 - Bellevue Hospital founded in a New York City almshouse - First public hospital in the US; Mar 31, 1980 - President Jimmy Carter deregulates banking industry; Apr 1, 1866 - US Congress rejects presidential veto giving all equal rights in US; Apr 1, 1867 - Blacks vote in municipal election in Tuscumbia, Alabama; Apr 1, 1991 - US Supreme Court rules jurors cannot be barred from serving due to race; Apr 2, 1921 - Albert Einstein lectures in New York City on his new "Theory of Relativity”.

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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