February 25, 2021

 — THIS WEEK IN DC —

Pentagon Report Reveals Disturbing Details About White Supremacists In The Ranks; House Judiciary Split On How To Address Domestic Terrorism; Supreme Court Weighs Police Power To Conduct Warrantless Searches; Biden CIA Pick Pledges To Confront China If Confirmed; Becerra Says He Wants To 'Build On' ObamaCare When Pressed On Medicare For All; Biden Signs Supply Chain Order After Positive Meeting With Lawmakers; State Department Establishes Chief Officer In Charge Of Diversity; House Rules Committee Releases New Text Of COVID-19 Relief Bill; Biden Administration To Release Report On Killing of Jamal Khashoggi; Biden Revokes Trump’s Pause On Green Cards; Capitol Riot Costs Will Exceed $30 Million; Rep. Judy Chu Reintroduces No BAN Act to Prevent Future Muslim Bans.  

 In This Issue 

• On the Shoulders of Giants
• America Needs More Than Vaccines to Cure the Pandemic, Pt. II
• We Have Enough Cops and Sufficient Laws — It's Time To Address White Supremacist Terrorism Politically
• STATEMENT: MPAC Denounces Vitriol Against Biden Appointees and Nominees of Color
• Malcolm X Is Still Misunderstood — And Misused
• One of LAPD's 1st Black Officers Reinstated More Than 120 Years After His Firing

 Featured 

On the Shoulders of Giants

By: Iman Ali, MPAC Policy & Program Coordinator; Sarah Kawamleh, MPAC Policy Fellow; and Kareem Majeed, MPAC Policy Intern

February was recognized as Black History Month in 1926, by historian Carter Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. However, it was not until fifty years later that the U.S. government decided to formally recognize February as Black History Month. The delays in justice for the Black community seem to also seep into their celebration. Americans owe a great debt of gratitude to the Black community. It is with their sacrifices that the foundations of our nation were built, that generations of leaders known as our founding fathers were raised, and the importance of solidarity among an array of social issues was developed.

The circumstances which have led to the rightful appreciation of Black history can best be understood by analyzing the systematic oppression of such communities, i.e. how people and agencies of power actively used their influence to terrorize a vulnerable community.

Read the full article

America Needs More Than Vaccines to Cure the Pandemic, Pt. II

By: Prema Rahman, MPAC Human Security Program Manager

Ahead of the March 14 deadline for President Biden to sign the new COVID relief package into action, MPAC is releasing a 3-part analysis of the expected legislation through a human security framework. This piece is the second in the series. Read the first part here.

Congress is poised to pass President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, the next COVID-19 relief package, by early March. With a COVID-19 death toll of half a million Americans, a clearly inadequate healthcare system, and an insecure economic environment, now more than ever, we need to prioritize the pressing needs of the American people. To quickly recap, we have identified three major pandemic-induced issues that are obstructing human security for Americans:

1. discrepencies between and inequities in state vaccine distribution,
2. the struggle to meet the needs of communities most vulnerable to COVID-19, and
3. the plight of small business in the face of lockdowns and widespread economic insecurity.

Last week, we delved into the first of the three issues identified: discrepancies between and inequities in state vaccine distribution. Even if we smooth out our vaccine distribution process, we cannot achieve herd immunity until we address medical racism and vaccine hesitancy. Medical racism refers to our nation’s history of marginalizing and exploiting people of color through racism in our medical system. Unfortunately, those implicit biases and exclusionary practices continue to exist in our healthcare infrastructure to this day. In this second installment of our 3-part analysis, we will focus on the struggle to meet the needs of communities most vulnerable to COVID-19.

Read the full article

We Have Enough Cops and Sufficient Laws — It's Time To Address White Supremacist Terrorism Politically

By: M. Baqir Mohie El-Deen, MPAC Policy Program Manager

A few days following the Capitol Hill Attack on January 6th, an activistic architecture studio based in Germany released a plan for what it called ‘Capitol Castle’, which made its way around American social media. Although the plans were not serious, they were drafted as satirical commentary about America’s next battle, and were created with the intention to spark debate over America’s handling of domestic terrorism.

Due to our past president’s rhetoric, the approach to addressing domestic violent extremism (DVE) has become a partisan issue. However, it’s not new to America.

Read the full article

MPAC Denounces Vitriol Against Biden Appointees and Nominees of Color

Washington, D.C. | mpac.org | February 24, 2021 — The Muslim Public Affairs Council denounces recent vitriol against Biden Administration appointees and officials. President Joseph R. Biden has built an administration that is arguably the most diverse in American history. The appointees he has selected are capable, skilled, and qualified for their respective positions. MPAC rejects the weaponization of platforms - political or otherwise - to perpetuate anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic, bigoted, and racist views against Biden appointees, particularly those from communities of color.

These nominees and appointees, through their diversity, bring in unique perspectives and experiences from communities directly impacted by the issues our nation is currently grappling with. . .

Read the full statement

 Good to Know 

• Malcolm X Is Still Misunderstood – And Misused
• One Of LAPD's 1st Black Officers Reinstated More Than 120 Years After His Firing
• Native Americans Finally Have A Cabinet Nominee. Will An Adopted Tlingit Take Her Down?
• Texas Disaster Puts Beto O’Rourke Back In Business
• New Public Report To Blame Saudi Crown Prince For 2018 Killing Of Jamal Khashoggi
• Rep. Judy Chu Reintroduces No BAN Act to Prevent Future Muslim Bans
• Mehdi Hasan Launches Prime-Time Show on MSNBC This Sunday

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