Issue 72: Friday, 8 April 2022

In a country that was founded on the promise of religious freedom, American Muslims have always been a part of the fabric of our nation. And yet, in recent years, we have seen a rise in anti-Muslim bigotry and hate crimes. That is why the work of the Muslim Public Affairs Council to promote unity and understanding is so critical. Now, more than ever, it is important for us to come together and stand up for our values.

We are transforming our advocacy to convene allies and coalitions to represent you to Congress as many times a year as there are members — we call it The 535 Project. An important part of this work allows us to bring our story and our voices directly to Congress. With your support, we can continue to make progress towards building a more just and inclusive society. In this month of spiritual growth and exploration, please consider investing in the future and our work.

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THIS WEEK IN DC— House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Tests Positive For COVID-19; U.S. House Passes $55 Billion In COVID Aid For Restaurants, Other Hard-Hit Firms; Democrats Reject GOP Border Demands; U.S. To Sanction Putin Kids; U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland Tests Positive for COVID-19; Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo Tests Positive for COVID-19; Biden Administration Again Pauses Payments On Student Loans; Biden, Obama, Harris Tout ACA; Congress Passes Bills Banning Russian Oil, Revoking Normal Trade Relations; Ohio Republican Bob Gibbs To Retire Amid Redistricting Chaos; Senate Confirms Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson To Supreme Court In Historic Vote; Senate Revives Lend-Lease, A World War II-Era Measure That Allowed The U.S. To Quickly Resupply Allies In The Fight Against Nazi Germany.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Statement: MPAC Applauds the Historic SCOTUS Confirmation of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
Featured Issue: What Islam Teaches Us About Community Through Congregation

MPAC Applauds the Historic SCOTUS Confirmation of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson

By a vote of 53–47, the Senate has confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court. She will also be the first justice to have previously served as a public defender. The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) applauds this groundbreaking confirmation and congratulates Justice Jackson for this historic accomplishment...

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What Islam Teaches Us About Community Through Congregation

By: MPAC Policy Bureau

As we reflect on the first Friday prayer of this Ramadan, having been unable to congregate together for the past two years it is important for us to remember the importance of community in our faith and the directive we are given as Muslims to partake in it.

Islam has many individual components which are of utmost importance, but it also places great importance on the value of community life and involvement for the Muslim. We see this in the form of Friday congregational prayers (jummah). Simply put, once a week, we get together, pray together, and engage one another...

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GOOD TO KNOW

Sacramento shooting leaves six dead, 12 wounded
Picking out American Muslims at border, to question about religion, is unconstitutional
Attorney General James warns hate group to immediately stop spying on Muslim communities
Muslim chaplains forge a new way of thinking about Islam in secular places
Noor Tagouri wants you to question representation
During Ramadan, fasting restaurant workers juggle food and faith

- THIS WEEK IN HISTORY -

Apr 3, 1929 - Persia agrees to Litvinov Pact; Apr 3, 1977 - Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's first meeting with US President Jimmy Carter; Apr 3, 1991 - UN Security Council adopts Gulf War truce resolution; Apr 4, 1939 - Faisal II ascends to throne of Iraq; Apr 4, 1941 - German troops conquer Benghazi, Libya; Apr 4, 1955 - British government signs military treaty with Iraq; Apr 4, 1979 - Ex-President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan is executed; Apr 5, 1991 - US begins air drops to Kurd refugees in Northern Iraq; Apr 6, 2005 - Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani becomes the Iraqi president; Shiite Arab Ibrahim al-Jaafari is named premier the next day; Apr 7, 1988 - Russia announces it will withdraw its troops from Afghanistan; Apr 7, 2003 - U.S. troops capture Baghdad; Saddam Hussein's regime falls two days later.

Apr 4, 1789 - First US Congress begins regular sessions during George Washington's presidency at Federal Hall, NYC; Apr 4, 1818 - Congress decides on the US flag: 13 red & white stripes & 20 stars; Apr 4, 1887 - Susanna Madora Salter elected first US woman mayor in Argonia, KS; Apr 4, 1945 - US forces liberate the Ohrdruf concentration camp in Germany, the first such camp to be liberated by the US Army; Apr 4, 1968 - US civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated by James Earl Ray at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, TN; Apr 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.; Apr 7, 1994 - Beginning of the Rwandan Genocide; the Presidential Guard begins killing moderate politicians and public figures in Kigali, including Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana; Apr 8, 1913 - 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified by Congress, providing for election of senators by popular vote; Apr 8, 1943 - U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, in an attempt to check inflation, freezes wages and prices, prohibits workers from changing jobs unless the war effort would be aided thereby, and bars rate increases to common carriers and public utilities; Apr 8, 1960 - US Senate passes Civil Rights Bill with measures against discriminatory voting practices; Apr 8, 1975 - Frank Robinson debuts as first African American baseball manager; Apr 9, 1784 - Great Britain ratifies the Treaty of Paris, ending the Revolutionary War; Apr 9, 1865 - Confederate General Robert E. Lee and 26,765 troops surrender at Appomattox Court House, ending the Civil War; Apr 9, 1866 - Civil Rights Bill passes over President Andrew Johnson's veto; Apr 9, 1963 - Winston Churchill becomes first 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.

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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