Newsletter (Mar 2024): Celebrating Eid and March Milestones: IAMC Engages with 50+ Congressional Offices
As salamu alaykum and Eid Mubarak!
On behalf of the Indian American Muslim Council, we wish you and your loved ones a joyful and blessed Eid. May Allah accept our fasting, our prayers, and our duas. May the happiness we experience in our Eid celebrations be mirrored in the lives of our Muslim brothers and sisters who are suffering in Gaza, India, and the rest of the world.
As you enjoy this beautiful day of rejoicing, you can also celebrate the fact that IAMC has been hard at work all throughout March – from holding dozens of meetings with Congressional offices to getting major press mentions on issues like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and American Hindutva, to co-writing a Declaration Against Hindu Supremacy in America.
BULLET POINT SUMMARY:
- IAMC held an Advocacy Week resulting in over 50 meetings with Congressional offices
- Petitioned the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission to hold a hearing on India – and succeeded
- Held a successful Ramadan Roadshow with 21 participating masajid across the country
- Co-wrote a Declaration Against Hindu Supremacy in America, which was signed by 100+ organizations
- Published op-eds on the Gujarat pogrom and the Biden administration’s proposed arms deal with India
- Featured on the political radio show This Is Hell!
Keep scrolling to learn more about each of these achievements in detail.
TOM LANTOS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION’S INDIA HEARING
IAMC lauded the Tom Lantos Commission for hosting a hearing titled “India: Recent Human Rights Reporting, after our Advocacy Team repeatedly met with the offices of the Commission’s co-chairs and petitioned them to hold an India hearing.
Two of the witnesses at the hearing – John Sifton of Human Rights Watch and Carolyn Nash of Amnesty International – were panelists at IAMC’s Congressional Briefing on February 14.
50 CONGRESSIONAL MEETINGS HELD DURING IAMC ADVOCACY WEEK
IAMC’s advocacy department held nearly 50 meetings with Congressional offices to speak about the threats to Hindutva in the USA and India. This includes offices in both the US Senate and the US House of Representatives, from among both Democrats and Republicans.
Officials we met represented Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Ohio, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.
100+ ORGANIZATIONS SIGN DECLARATION AGAINST HINDU SUPREMACY
IAMC and coalition partners co-wrote and released a Declaration Against Hindu Supremacy in America, which was signed by over 100 US-based advocacy organizations.
“The deeply anti-Muslim project of Hindu supremacy… is not only harmful to Indian, South Asian and Muslim Americans, but runs deeply counter to our values of collective liberation,” the statement read. “It is our shared responsibility to stand in solidarity with those who are bravely opposing supremacist politics and fighting for a true multiracial democracy.”
Signatories include multifaith and multiracial groups including Jewish Voice for Peace, Movement for Black Lives, IfNotNow, Code Pink, and more.
See the full list of signatories and read the full declaration here.
IAMC MEDIA TEAM
Last month, we published two op-eds on important topics – how the specter of the Gujarat pogrom still looms over Indian Muslims globally, and why Congress must take a stand against the Biden administration’s dangerous proposed arms deal with India. Check out the pieces here:
- Jacobin Magazine: “The US Hindu Right Is Still Whitewashing the Gujarat Pogrom”
- The Defense Post: “Congress Must Oppose US $4B Drone Sale to India”
Our Associate Media Director, Safa Ahmed, was also featured on the political radio show This Is Hell! to talk about the Gujarat pogrom, Hindutva, and the impact on Indian Muslims in America.
We also had multiple press mentions in different publications:
- Business Insider: Indian American groups on CAA
- The Wire: 100+ Rights Groups Alarmed by Rising Hindu Supremacy in the US
- Hindustan Times: IAMC stand on CAA implementation
- India Today: IAMC Calls CAA discriminatory
You can keep up with all of our press mentions here.
CHAPTER ACTIVITIES
This Ramadan, chapters across the country joined in on IAMC’s annual Ramadan Roadshow, in which IAMC volunteers set up booths and give presentations in masajid to educate local communities on what’s happening in India, collect donations, and get people involved in our work.
Alhamdulillah, thanks to all the effort put in by our chapters, this year’s Ramadan Roadshow was a smashing success – with 21 masajid allowing us to raise awareness.
Keep scrolling to learn more about each chapter’s contributions to the roadshow and other activities:
Atlanta
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- Held presentations and set up booths at 8 different masajid as part of the Ramadan Roadshow, including:
- Islamic Center of North Fulton- ICNF (Alpharetta)
- Islamic Center of Duluth ICD – Masjid Maryam (Duluth)
- Gwinnett Islamic Circle-GIC (Suwanee)
- Masjid Omar bin Abdul Aziz (Lilburn)
- Stone Mountain Masjid (Stone Mountain)
- Masjid Al Madinah (Norcross)
- West Cobb Islamic Center-WCIC Masjid Al-Furqan (Marietta)
- Masjid Al-Rahman (Cumming)
- Attracted 400 guests to chapter fundraiser event featuring Mehdi Hasan, TV Anchor and Author, and Prof. Yasmin Saikia of Arizona State University
- Chapter leads participated in Georgia Muslim Advocacy Day, including by attending the event’s morning session at the Georgia State Capitol and networking with GA Muslim lawmakers
- Attended Town hall meeting with US Congressman Dr. Rich McCormick – took date boxes for distribution at the venue for both those who were fasting and also as a Happy Ramadan gift. Presented 3 date boxes to the Congressman while reminding him to oppose his stand on Gaza and his unequivocal support to Hindu supremacist groups in the US.
- Attended CAIR-GA Iftar Dinners
- Held presentations and set up booths at 8 different masajid as part of the Ramadan Roadshow, including:
Boston
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- Participated in 5 different Islamic Centers spreading awareness across the community in Massachusetts area, including:
- ISS3 in Brockton, MA on 3/18/24
- BIS in Westboro, MA on 3/22/24
- ISGL in Lowell, MA on 3/30/24
- ICNE in Sharon, MA on 3/31/24
- Masjid Yaseen in Attleboro, MA on 4/7/24
- Participated in 5 different Islamic Centers spreading awareness across the community in Massachusetts area, including:
New Jersey
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- Had Ramadan Roadshow presentations / booths in multiple NJ masajid, including:
- Darul Islah (Teaneck)
- Muslim Community of New Jersey (Fords)
- Muslim Center of Middlesex county (Piscataway)
- Islamic Center of Central Jersey (South Brunswick)
- Masjid Al-Wali (Edison)
- Masjid Sadar (Sayreville)
- Had Ramadan Roadshow presentations / booths in multiple NJ masajid, including:
Richmond
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- Conducted Ramadan Roadshow at two Richmond masjids
- Collected more than 500 signed Eid greeting cards from Muslim Families across Virginia. Shared gift bags with Senators and Delegates during Muslim Advocacy Day.
- Conducted a breakfast awareness session at Virginia Legislative Assembly.
- Had 1×1 meetings with Delegate Sam Rasoul and Senator Saddam Salim to discuss advocacy opportunities for IAMC.
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