(COLUMBUS, OHIO, 4/3/2019) – On Monday April 1, 2019, CAIR-Columbus staff took a delegation of central Ohio community members to Washington, D.C. for the fifth annual National Muslim Advocacy Day” on Capitol Hill. More than 500 delegates from 25 states met with over 250 elected officials and congressional staffers during the course of two days, to lobby on issues impacting American-Muslims.
In the U.S. House of Representatives, Muslim delegates urged their members of Congress to co-sponsor and support Rep. Judy Chu’s House Resolution 276, a “Resolution Recognizing the History of American Muslims and Their Contributions to Our Nation.”
VIEW PHOTOS FROM THE ADVOCACY DAYS HERE.
Muslim delegates also supported legislative measures that would:
- Repeal the Muslim Ban: A round-up endorsement of all legislation pushing back against the Trump Administration’s Muslim travel ban. That includes supporting legislation that would either defund the ban, repeal the ban or amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to address the legal framework under which the ban was implemented.
- Support Immigration Reform: Supporting DREAMers, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders by endorsing the Dream and Promise Act. Seeking to end family separation and detention at the Southern Border by supporting the Alternatives to Detention Act of 2019.
- Support Human Rights for Muslims Worldwide: Urging the United States to continue standing up for the human rights of Muslims internationally, by supporting legislation that addresses the arbitrary detention of Uighur Muslims in China and condemning violence against Rohingya Muslims in Burma.
On Monday, delegates attended a civic engagement and congressional advocacy training seminar in the Capitol Visitor Center’s auditorium. Later that day, members of Congress and their staff joined Hill day participants for an evening reception at the House Visitor Center. On Tuesday, Muslim delegates were hosted at the St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.