When the government shuts down, Poligon keeps going

Salaam, and welcome to our January newsletter! See below for what we were up to this month and our upcoming events:

​Congressional Advocacy Training with MACCPAC

Poligon gave a training at Georgetown University for high school students as part of the Muslim American Citizens Coalition & Public Affairs Council (MACCPAC)'s winter Youth Leadership Summit.

Findings from Pew Research Center’s 2017 Survey of U.S. Muslims

We attended a presentation by Dr. Besheer Mohamed of the Pew Research Center on a nationwide survey of Muslim Americans. The survey found that while many Muslim Americans are worried about facing discrimination and hate crimes, they remain proud to be American. ​

#CantBanThis: Poligon's First Anniversary Bash

We celebrated our first anniversary with poster-making and a renewed commitment to amplifying Muslim American voices in Congress. Our guest speaker, Yasmine Taeb, spoke about her experience being the first Muslim woman elected to the DNC and the need for more Muslim involvement in the political process. We also presented a proclamation from Sen. Durbin (D-IL) congratulating Poligon on its first anniversary

Muslim/Refugee Ban: A Year of Resistance

Poligon co-sponsored a mobilization at the White House to mark the anniversary of the first Muslim ban. Interfaith allies formed a ring of protection as Muslims performed the dhuhr prayer. We also participated in a #NoMuslimBanEver Twitter storm the day before the event.

Panel on What to Expect at President Trump's First State of the Union

Source: Brookings

We attended a panel discussion by experts at the Brookings Institution on what President Trump's first State of the Union address would contain and what it would mean for members of Congress from both parties. The address was expected to set the tone for Congressional Republicans leading up to the November elections. Click here for Poligon's analysis of the State of the Union address.

Upcoming Events

We're headed to New York City on February 9th to do a Congressional advocacy training with the NYU Muslim Students Association! The training is free to attend with an RSVP - reserve your seat now!

Action Alerts

January 16, 2018: Tell Congress: Muslims, Refugees, and Dreamers Are Welcome Here

Weekly Hill Happenings

We've been keeping you up-to-date on the latest on Capitol Hill with our Hill Happenings going straight to your inboxes every Friday.
January 12, 2018: Budget Fight Resumes, DACA Negotiations, Renewing Government Surveillance, Securing American Non-Profits Against Terrorism Act, SALT Deductibility Act, Tax Benefit for Homeschooling.

January 19, 2018: Government Again on the Brink of Shutdown, Bipartisan House DACA Plan, Senate Approves Surveillance Powers Renewal, Protecting Veterans from Predatory Lending Act​​​​.

January 26, 2018: Brief Government Shutdown, Protecting Independent Contractors, Bail Fairness Act, RAISE Family Caregivers Act Becomes Law, Presidential Appointment Confirmations.

Don't forget to visit our website to view our policy briefs and the latest updates. Like our Facebook page, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter to stay up-to-date on news affecting Muslim Americans and our allies on Capitol Hill. Feel free to forward this newsletter to others.

Stay active,
​Ayesha, Afif, Nadia, Wardah, and Farah