Issue 83: Friday, 24 June 2022

THIS WEEK IN DC – House Passes Gun Safety Bill, Sending Measure To Biden’s Desk; Thomas Calls For Overturning Precedents On Contraceptives, LGBTQ Rights; Biden Says Court Leading Nation Down ‘Extreme’ Path; Manchin ‘Alarmed’ By Kavanaugh, Gorsuch’s Votes On Roe; Senate Confirms Cavoli As Head Of Us European Command; Former Obama AG Eric Holder Says Trump Telling DOJ To Declare Election ‘Corrupt’ Is ‘Smoking Gun’; Bipartisan Bill Targets Data Flows To American Adversaries; Senate Democrats Call On FDA To Change ‘Discriminatory’ Blood Donor Policies; Collins Faces Uphill Battle To Win GOP Support For Insulin Cost Bill; Biden To Send $450 Million In Aid To Ukraine.

IN THIS ISSUE:

SCOTUS Overturns Roe v. Wade
The US must lead the way in getting Aid to Afghans
How We Should Understand Juneteenth

SCOTUS Overturns Roe v. Wade

Washington, D.C. | mpac.org | June 19, 2022 | The Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, the right for women to get an abortion. This decision is perilous to women across the nation.

Islamic scholar and constitutional law professor Asifa Quraishi-Landes states that there are a diversity of views on abortion in Islamic law. They include: Abortion is permissible through the first 120 days of pregnancy; abortion is permissible but discouraged up to 40 (some say 80) days after conception; and abortion is prohibited unless there is a compelling reason such as risk to the life or health of the mother (an exception that exists in every Islamic legal school, regardless of the timing).

At this time, it is our collective responsibility to determine what is in the best interest of our society, or what is regarded in Islamic jurisprudence as al Maslahah.

The US must lead the way in getting Aid to Afghans

By: MPAC Policy Bureau

Rescuers dig by hand for survivors amid confusion over Taliban aid appeal | Sky News

On Thursday, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan killed over 1,000 civilians and injured over 1,500. Adding a sour icing to the devastating layer cake of challenges Afghans face, humanitarian efforts are stumbling against hurdles of US sanctions designed to isolate the Taliban. These conditions, dire by any measure, are in part a result of a rushed and lacking policies yielding devastating consequences.

If not for decency, then for the decades long support, cooperation, and goodwill we owe Afghans humanitarian aid in what has become one of their darkest hours.

How We Should Understand Juneteenth

By: MPAC Public Policy Fellow Jameel Subhan

Residents in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia regions celebrating Juneteenth this past Sunday. (7News)

Last Sunday, Americans observed the newly commemorated holiday known as Juneteenth. Recognizing Juneteenth is only a small step in the right direction for this country, and as Muslims, we have to go further and understand the importance that African Americans have had in introducing Islam to America.

Muslims and the Making of America

Contrary to common knowledge, Islam played a role in the founding of America, as many enslaved populations that were brought from Africa were Muslim. An estimated 15 to 30 percent of the enslaved population were of Islamic heritage. Although they were not allowed to practice Islam, they still managed to influence many aspects of America.

Ongoing: House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol

Witnesses swear in before a House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

The House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol continues to hold a series of committee hearings.

Watch the recordings →

UPCOMING

Join us this Sunday for the 30th Annual MPAC Media Awards

For the first time in 30 years of the MPAC Media Awards, the majority of this year's honorees are Muslim trailblazers. See how Muslims are changing the entertainment landscape. Learn more and register for our FREE live stream event this Sunday, June 26 (5:00-6:30 pm PT).

With appearances by Oscar winners, past honorees, performances, and more, you won't want to miss this milestone event. RSVP now.

GOOD TO KNOW

Fewer Americans file for jobless aid
Muslim scores overtime winner in the NHL Playoffs
An Interview with the Stars of 'The Great Muslim American Road Trip'
CBP Selects Senior Community Relations Manager in Michigan for the Arab and Muslim communities.
Muslim Women Finally Positively Portrayed With Ms. Marvel
MPAC Policy Program Manager, Muhammad Baqir Muhyedeen, published in the Atlantic Council

- THIS WEEK IN HISTORY -

June 19, 1961 - Kuwait declares independence from the US; June 20, 1967 - Muhammad Ali sentenced to 5 years by jury after refusing draft into the Vietnam War; June 21, 1981 - The U.N. Security Council agrees to a resolution declaring an immediate ceasefire in the Iran-Iraq War; June 21, 1948 - The Rhodes Conference begins regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict; June 22, 1691 - Ahmed II begins reign as 21st Ottoman Sultan, succeeding Sultan Suleiman II; June 22, 2020 - Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kazimi launches 'Heroes of Iraq III' operation to secure Saladin province; June 23, 1956 - Gamal Abdel Nassar is elected as the first president of the Republic of Egypt; June 23, 1908 - Shah Mohammed Ali leads successful counter-revolution in Persia, aided by a Cossack brigade and Russian legation; June 25, 1861 - Sultan Abdülaziz becomes 32nd Ottoman Sultan.

June 19, 1865 - 1865 Union General Gordon Granger declares slaves are free in Texas, now the date the end of slavery is celebrated across the US as Juneteenth; June 20, 1895 - Caroline Willard Baldwin earns a PhD in Science from Cornell University, the first woman to receive such academic honor from an American university; June 20, 2020 - The highest-ever temperature is recorded in the Arctic circle at 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Siberia; June 21, 1989 - The US Supreme Court rules in Texas v. Johnson that the First Amendment protects burning the American flag; June 21, 1834 - American inventor Cyrus McCormick patents the reaping machine; June 21, 1788 - US Constitution comes into effect after New Hampshire becomes 9th state to ratify the document; June 22, 1970 - Richard Nixon signs extension of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that lowers the voting age to 18 in all elections; June 22, 1944 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the G.I. Bill, designed to compensate returning armed service members after WWII; June 24, 1853 - President Franklin Pierce signs the Gadsden Purchase, acquiring now southern Arizona and New Mexico from Mexico; June 25, 1876 - General George Custer and Sioux, Cheyenne warriors led by Crazy Horse and Sitting Bill engage in Battle of the Little Bighorn.

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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