Newsletter (July 2023): We marched for Manipur in seven cities (& more achievements)

August 16, 2023

Newsletter (July 2023): We marched for Manipur in seven cities (& more achievements)

Assalaamu Alaikum and greetings of peace!

We’re pleased to bring you IAMC’s July 2023 newsletter, covering all of IAMC National and chapter achievements over the past month (best consumed with a cup of chai).

BULLET POINT SUMMARY:

IAMC held an event on Capitol Hill ft. Rashida Tlaib
Co-organized seven protests against Manipur violence
Hosted a media training session for chapter leads
And announced early details for our upcoming annual convention

Keep scrolling to learn more about each of these achievements in detail.

Protests for Manipur

In seven cities across five different states, IAMC chapters co-organized protests against the ongoing violence in Manipur, which has disproportionately impacted the predominantly Christian Kuki-Zo tribe. We are proud to have partnered with the North American Manipur Tribal Association (NAMTA) and other human rights groups on these events.

We couldn’t have made this much of an impact without our grassroots – starting with our Boston chapter, which helped bring out the Indian diaspora of Boston to protest.

In California, our volunteers marched alongside diverse crowds of Indian Americans and allies in Oakland, Fremont, and San Diego.

A local media publication, the Dallas Morning News, wrote this stellar piece on our protest in Dallas, and Indian media covered our protest in Detroit.

And in New Jersey, on the same street where a bulldozer rolled through in August last year, our volunteers co-organized a candlelight vigil in solidarity with local Christian organizations.

Congressional Briefing on Capital Hill

On July 19, IAMC hosted a Congressional Briefing on Capitol hill, ft. star guests like Rashida Tlaib, the United Nations Special Rapporteur of Minority Rights, and a commissioner from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

You can read our full press release on the event here.

Media Training for Chapter Leads

On July 29, Safa Ahmed and Morley Musick of IAMC’s media department hosted a media training session for chapter leads. This session allowed chapter representatives to connect with our media team, learn how to make connections with reporters, and brainstorm op-ed ideas surrounding upcoming with the media team’s guidance.

CHAPTER ACTIVITIES

Our chapters were fired up with activity last month, from organizing protests and vigils to meeting with elected officials. Here’s an overview of their events and accomplishments:

New Jersey:

Participated in protests against Modi during his DC visit, attended New York’s Howdy Democracy event, and gave a speech about IAMC activities
Set up a stall at Edison Eid event and educated people about IAMC activities
Worked on sending letters to local mayors about preventing anti-Muslim hate during upcoming independence day celebrations

Atlanta:

Mobilized support for jailed whistleblower Sanjiv Bhatt by inviting his daughter, Dr. Aakashi Bhatt, to a private event. Georgia Senator Sheikh Rahman attended.
Met with Republican Georgia Representative Matt Reeves and briefed him about the situation Indian Muslims face
Attended Georgia’s Muslim American Heritage Month gala celebration. (Multiple elected officials were present, most notably US Senator Jon Ossoff.)
Organized an informational meeting with Georgia Muslim Voters Project

Michigan:

Met with State Senator Sam Singh as part of political and educational outreach
Received press coverage for Manipur protests along with coalition partners

Upcoming: IAMC Annual Convention

IAMC is proud to announce the preliminary details for our upcoming IAMC Convention, which will be held at the Plano Event Center in Dallas, Texas from October 13-15.

We encourage all chapter leadership and volunteers to block off these dates and join us for three days of networking, informational sessions, team building, and learning how to become even more impactful as advocates for this cause.

IAMC Convention