MPAC Denounces Israeli Forces Raiding Al-Aqsa; The Human Side of Inflation; National American Muslim Policy Conference; 30th Annual MPAC Media Awards

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Issue 73: Friday, 15 April 2022


We are halfway through Ramadan! As we continue our journey of spirituality and introspection this month, we are reminded to take a step back and reflect on the important things in life -- community, family, and our connection with our faith and God.

We have great news as we head into the weekend! We just had a donor commit to a matching program to help us reach our Ramadan goal: $20,000 in matching funds are available for supporters like you, but only through this weekend! Donate before midnight on Sunday, April 17th to double your impact ([link removed]) toward an America that is enriched by our vital contributions. We couldn’t do this crucial work without your support.
Donate ([link removed])

THIS WEEK IN DC— Jury Convicts Jan. 6 Defendant Who Blamed Trump For Capitol Breach; RNC Unanimously Votes To Withdraw From Commission That Sponsors Presidential Debates; Biden Calls Atrocities In Ukraine A 'Genocide' For The First Time; Justices Ginsburg And O'Connor Will Get Statues On US Capitol Grounds; Gina McCarthy, Biden’s Top Climate Adviser, To Depart White House; Biden White House Waives Executive Privilege For More Trump Records; DOJ Reaches Settlement In 2020 Cases Involving Lafayette Square Protesters; DNC Moves To Overhaul Presidential Primary Calendar, Putting Iowa’s Top Spot At Risk; FDA Authorizes First Covid-19 Breath Test.


** IN THIS ISSUE:
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* Statement: MPAC Denounces Israeli Forces Raiding Al-Aqsa
* Featured Issue: The Human Side of Inflation
* Join us for the Inaugural National American Muslim Policy Conference
* Announcing the 30th Annual MPAC Media Awards


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** Statement: MPAC Denounces Israeli Forces Raiding Al-Aqsa
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Washington, D.C. | www.mpac.org ([link removed]) | April 15, 2022 — In the early hours of April 15, heavily armed members of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) violated the sanctity of Al-Aqsa and began their assault upon an innocent congregation of worshippers as they gathered to pray during the holy month of Ramadan...

Read our statement → ([link removed])



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** The Human Side of Inflation
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Image credit: Lawrence Bryant/Reuters


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We are in the midst of the most severe inflation crisis in recent history. According to the U.S. Labor Department's latest monthly report on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for March 2022, inflation in America has roughly risen by 8.5% since last Ramadan and is the highest since 1981.

This is more than a number on a graph on a TV screen. This means making dinner or preparing iftar this month costs significantly more than it did last Ramadan.

While some of us might be blessed with being able to withstand this increase, there are far too many Americans who may have been living paycheck to paycheck, whose ability to put a meal like iftar on the table has greatly diminished. As we attend events at our local mosque after two years of social distancing, and are finally able to pray Jummah as one community, let's think about the reality that the person next to us may not actually be financially stable enough to provide for their family...

Read full article → ([link removed])



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** Join us for the Inaugural National American Muslim Policy Conference

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We are proud to announce that we're co-hosting the inaugural National American Muslim Policy Conference on Tuesday, June 7. This joint initiative will bring together elected officials, experts, and leaders from across the nation to discuss our community's policy priorities and needs. We are proud to be working alongside American Muslim Health Professionals, Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, Illinois Muslim Civic Coalition, and Emgage Action.

Our hope with this conference is to underscore the power of our collective impact to uplift the American Muslim voice and provide meaningful solutions to the complex issues our communities face.

Register for virtual event → ([link removed])



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** Announcing the 30th Annual MPAC Media Awards

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We’re very excited to announce the first five honorees of the 30th annual #MPACMediaAwards. Join us Sunday, June 26th as we recognize Americanish ([link removed]) , I’ll Meet You There ([link removed]) , Mira, Royal Detective ([link removed]) , United States of Al ([link removed]) , and We are Lady Parts ([link removed]) . More honorees to come!

For 30 years, we have honored people and projects in the entertainment industry who use their craft to create authentic portrayals of Muslims, promote social justice, and inspire action.

Due to COVID precautions, this year’s Media Awards will be live-streamed.

RSVP for virtual event → ([link removed])



GOOD TO KNOW
* Israeli forces raid ([link removed]) Al-Aqsa Mosque, over 150 Palestinians injured
* Easter, Passover, Ramadan time ([link removed]) to reflect on what makes United States stand out
* Illinois men sentenced ([link removed]) to less than minimum for Minnesota mosque bombing
* Verdicts in Michigan governor kidnapping plot fuels ([link removed]) questions on white extremism
* Muslim Student Association hosts ([link removed]) campus-wide “fast-a-thon”
* Civil rights groups sue ([link removed]) Texas county over alleged 'discriminatory' map

- THIS WEEK IN HISTORY -

April 11, 1925 - Abd el-Krims Rifkabylen defeats French army in Morocco; April 12, 1946 - Syria gains independence from France; April 12, 2009 - President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian National Authority makes a courtesy phone call to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, restarting the Palestinian-Israeli dialogue; April 13, 1517 - Ottoman army occupies Cairo; April 13, 1909 - In Constantinople the primarily Albanian First Army Corps seizes the parliament building and telegraphs offices, forcing the Ottoman statesman Hilmi Pasha to resign; April 13, 1204 - Crusaders occupy Constantinople; April 13, 1250 - The Seventh Crusade is defeated in Egypt, Louis IX of France captured; April 13, 1975 - Christian Falange kills 27 Palestinians, begins Lebanese civil war; April 13, 1994 - Target date for Israeli complete withdrawal, doesn't occur; April 14, 1988 - USSR, US, Pakistan & Afghanistan sign Afghanistan treaty; April 14, 2007 - At least 200,000 demonstrators in Ankara, Turkey protest
against the possible candidacy of incumbent Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; April 15, 1997 - Fire sweeps through a campsite of Muslims making the Hajj pilgrimage; the official death toll is 343; April 16, 1913 - Bulgarians and the Turks agree to an armistice that will be accepted by the other nations involved.

April 10, 1869 - Congress increases number of Supreme Court judges from 7 to 9; April 10, 1872 - First National black convention meets in New Orleans; April 10, 1960 - Senate passes landmark Civil Rights Bill; April 10, 2006 - Hundreds of thousands protest the Border Protection, Antiterrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005, H.R. 4437, in the United States; April 11, 1783 - Hostilities formally cease in the American Revolutionary War; April 11, 1968 - US President Lyndon B. Johnson signs 1968 Civil Rights Act; April 11, 1993 - 450 prisoners riot at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville, Ohio, and continue for ten days, citing grievances about prison conditions and the forced vaccination of Nation of Islam prisoners (for tuberculosis); April 12, 1770 - British parliament repeals the Townshend Revenue Acts, which had fueled opposition to British rule in colonial America; April 12, 1945 - US President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies in office and Vice President Harry
Truman is sworn in as 33rd US President; April 12, 1983 - Chicago elects Harold Washington, first black mayor; April 13, 1911 - The US House of Representatives votes to institute direct elections of senators to Congress, a step towards direct democracy; April 13, 1920 - First woman US Civil Service Commissioner, Helen Hamilton appointed; April 13, 1944 - South Carolina rejects black suffrage; April 14, 1858 - Abolitionist John Brown meets Harriet Tubman at a Constitutional Convention; April 14, 1865 - US President Abraham Lincoln is shot in the head by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater; April 14, 1971 - Supreme Court upheld busing as means of achieving racial desegregation; April 15, 1861 - Federal army mobilized (US Civil War); April 15, 1865 - Abraham Lincoln dies 9 hours after he is shot at Ford's Theatre in Washington; April 15, 1945 - British Army liberates Nazi concentration camp Bergen-Belsen; April 15, 1947 - Jackie Robinson becomes first African-American to play in US major
league baseball; April 16, 1789 - George Washington heads for first presidential inauguration; April 16, 1862 - Slavery abolished in District of Columbia; April 16, 2007 - Virginia Tech massacre: The deadliest mass shooting in modern American history. 32 people are killed and 23 injured.

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