Dear John,
We've already been there: feeling afraid of going to our mosque or the safety of our children at Islamic schools after hateful attacks from bigots.
After the Christchurch and Poway attacks, I got countless calls from American Muslim leaders and community members with these warranted fears. Last year, white supremacist groups increased by 50% in the US alone. This rise has also led to a rise in attacks on our houses of worship and an increase in hate crimes.
It's not enough to demand change. We must make the change we wish to see. MPAC has been working with Muslim leaders, law enforcement, and government agencies to address the urgent concern of keeping our houses of worship safe -- and we’ve made significant headway. I hope you will invest in our work as we continue to protect our community and religious institutions from those who seek to harm us.
Continue reading below for important updates.
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I am on a Homeland Security Advisory Council task force with leaders from other national civic and interfaith organizations. Just this week, we released a report titled “Preventing Targeted Violence Against Faith-Based Communities” directed to DHS Secretary Chad Wolf and Members of Congress to inform them of two crucial findings:
- The cancer of white supremacy is not only growing but it is also a critical national security concern.
- The government has not invested sufficient resources to investigate and counter this threat to vulnerable communities.
- Faith-based organizations do not have the resources and training needed to protect their houses of worship.
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In addition to my work with the task force, we utilize a multi-pronged approach to counter this threat.
Here is a recent summary of our work countering bigotry:
- We advised Facebook on how to address online hate. Our points were added to their community guidelines.
- We testified to Congress on the rising threat of white supremacists to Muslims and all vulnerable communities.
- We released “The White Supremacist Threat to America” white paper to Congress with recommendations on combating this fast-growing threat.
- We organized community forums with interfaith partners, including a panel with Rep. Adam Schiff, to address this common threat on all Americans.
- We educated Muslim leaders around the country on leveraging government grants (paid for by our tax dollars) and other resources to safeguard our houses of worship.
Will you help us safeguard our communities in 2020?
If this work is valuable to you, help us raise another $25,050 before December 31st to meet our year-end goals.
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We turn to our houses of worship as sacred spaces to connect with the divine, learn, grow, and enrich one another. Your support will help us continue working to keep them safe.
In service,
Salam Al-Marayati
MPAC President
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Founded in 1988, the Muslim Public Affairs Council improves public understanding and policies that impact American Muslims by engaging our government, media, and communities.
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