In light of harsh realities and tragedies as a result of the Muslim Ban, the Arab American Civic Council hosted “BAN-DEMIC: Living with the Muslim Ban,” a virtual panel discussion on Friday, June 26, which marked the 2nd year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the ban.
During these times of uncertainty and the hardships we all face with COVID-19, it is important that we continue to take action to advocate against this racist ban. It may seem difficult to keep the conversation going about the impact of the Muslim Ban on our communities while our nation and the world is focused on COVID-19 and given that travel has been restricted due to the pandemic, however, it is key for organizers to keep the conversation going and continue to push for ending the ban.
The panelists provided us with firsthand insight on what the ban looks like for our communities. In our discussion, Zahra Billoo, executive director of CAIR-SFBA spoke about what the newest iteration of the ban looks like and its implications on our communities. Zack Mohamed, an organizer with the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) discussed how the latest iteration of the ban is an extension of continuous targeting of African countries, contributing to the long history of violent imperialism and colonialism. Lastly, Dr. Debbie Almontaser, a Yemeni American community leader in New York, spoke about what the ban looks like for families who come from the impoverished war-torn country.
4 Things You Can Do To Fight the Muslim Ban
1. Watch the ‘BAN-DEMIC: Living with the Muslim Ban’ to learn more:
Refugees are fleeing extraordinary adversity, and denying them safety is to deny our common humanity. We can’t allow President Trump to continue his erratic decision making. The ban is more about a broad campaign targeting immigrants and communities of color than keeping us safe. Our elected leaders must take action to defend the Constitution’s religious freedom protections.
2. Click the link below to send a letter to your Representative in Congress to support the NO BAN Act.
The NO BAN Act would repeal all versions of the Muslim and refugee bans and change immigration law to prohibit discrimination based on religion.
3. While we continue our fight and keeping the conversation going, donating to trusted organizations advocating against the ban is a must.
Whether it’s the Black Alliance for Just Immigration, CAIR, Yemeni American Merchants Association, the Arab American Civic Council, or others, it’s critical to support the efforts of those who are working day in and day out defending our rights.
4. Join the No Muslim Ban Ever campaign.
The Muslim, African, and refugee bans are on a continuum of exclusionary policies, White supremacy, xenophobia and racism. We are stronger when we understand these connections and work together. Allies are always encouraged to join the campaign against these bans. As mentioned by one of our panelists, Zahra Billoo, an important resource where you can get information is the No Muslim Ban Ever campaign website, which includes a digital toolkit and much more.
