FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 14th, 2020
Contact: info@poligonnational.org

​Washington, D.C. - The House of Representatives announced Monday that it will be voting on the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants Act or NO BAN Act, on Wednesday, July 22nd. The vote was delayed from the initial date in March, due to COVID-19. 

Poligon Board President, Wardah Khalid, issued the following statement: 

“Poligon Education Fund is excited to see the NO BAN Act finally being put to a vote in Congress. For over three and a half years, families have been separated due to this cruel and un-American ban. The NO BAN Act repeals those bans and places limitations the President’s authority to restrict immigration, as well as prohibit religious discrimination when issuing visas. The House of Representatives must pass the NO BAN Act next week. This is a chance to prove that America will not stand for racist policies that discriminate against individuals because of their ethnicity or religion.”

Poligon has worked tirelessly to advocate for this legislation since before it was even introduced, working in coalition to draft the bill, meeting with House members to educate and urge them to cosponsor the bill, and working in coalition to collect over 150,000 signatures in support of the NO BAN Act. Monday’s announcement is a win for civil rights and a major step towards ending this unjust travel ban.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 29, 2020
Contact: info@poligonnational.org

Poligon Education Fund Condemns Anti-Black Police Brutality and Racism, Urges Congress to Take Action
Washington, D.C. - Poligon Education Fund strongly condemns the recent incidents of police brutality against George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbury. These acts of violence by law enforcement officials are inexcusable as are the discrimination, institutional racism, and abuses of power that have targeted Black people across the nation for far too long. This is highly concerning for our community, as African Americans and Blacks represent 25% of the American Muslim population.

We urge Congress to act now and pass H.R. 4408, the Eric Garner Excessive Use of Force Prevention Act, to prohibit police chokeholds and other harmful tactics that result in asphyxiation. We are also supportive of the House Judiciary Committee's demands that the Department of Justice open an investigation into the deaths of Floyd, Taylor, and Arbury.

In a country that boasts itself as being the land of equality and freedom, it is unacceptable that a police officer meant to protect their community can unlawfully murder a man and not be prosecuted by the law. We stand with our Black brothers and sisters in Minnesota, Kentucky, Georgia, and across the country who are hurting deeply in this moment. To do so is a religious obligation for Muslims, as the Quran clearly states, "Oh you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to God." (Quran 4:15).
What is happening in our country right now is nothing less than brutal injustice. Poligon will continue to work with our communities and lawmakers in Congress to oppose and rectify it. 

Source: Who Are American Muslims: ISPU. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.ispu.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Who-Are-American-Muslims.pdf

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 31, 2020
Contact: info@poligonnational.org

Poligon Condemns the Administration's Expansion of Muslim Ban
Washington, D.C. - Poligon Education Fund issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration's decision to expand the Muslim Travel Ban. 
"Today is a heartbreaking day for minority communities across the nation and the world. This is still an Islamophobic and Xenophobic travel ban, and we need to repeal it, not expand it. It is well known that the Trump administration has an anti-immigrant agenda, as they cruelly separated families at the border, detained children, denied asylum seekers, and banned refugees and Black and Brown immigrants. This cycle of religious or ethnic discrimination needs to stop in our immigration policies. We have already faced the consequences of the Muslim Ban for three years, and this expansion will separate even more families across the United States and the world. We urge Congress to speak out against this expanded ban and pass the NO BAN Act now, which will prevent policies like this from being implemented ever again."

The expanded list includes six new countries: Myanmar (also known as Burma), Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania. Under the policy, citizens from the first four countries won’t be allowed to apply for visas to immigrate to the U.S. Sudan and Tanzania will be barred from participating in the diversity visa lottery. The new restrictions are set to take effect on Feb. 21.

​For Poligon’s previous statements surrounding the Muslim Ban, please click here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 27, 2020
CONTACT: info@poligonnational.org

Three Years Later, Poligon Education Fund Continues to Condemn the Muslim Travel Ban
Washington, D.C. - Today marks the three-year anniversary of the first executive order implemented by the Trump Administration, which placed severe limits on people traveling to the United States from seven predominantly Muslim countries. Three years and several iterations later, the “Muslim Ban” continues to separate families in communities across the United States and the world.
 
Last week, President Trump confirmed that there will be an expansion to the Muslim Ban. The expanded list may include Belarus, Myanmar (also known as Burma), Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania. Any addition to the Muslim Ban will negatively impact Muslim communities and contribute to the already rising* anti-Muslim discrimination throughout the country. 
 
“It has been three years, and families that have been ripped apart by this un-American and discriminatory ban are still waiting for relief” Poligon President, Wardah Khalid, said. “This is a dark stain in our nation’s history. We need to stop the cycle of religious or ethnic discrimination in our immigration policies. Now is the time for Congress to speak out against the ban and pass the NO BAN Act to repeal it and prevent such a ban from being implemented against another community in the future. ” For Poligon’s previous statements surrounding the Muslim Ban, please click here.

Source:
* Dalia Mogaheed and Azka Mahmood, American Muslim Poll 2019: Predicting and Preventing Islamophobia: ISPU. (2020, January 22). Retrieved from https://www.ispu.org/american-muslim-poll-2019-predicting-and-preventing-islamophobia/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 8, 2019
CONTACT: info@poligonnational.org

Washington, D.C. - Poligon Education Fund is devastated by the senseless acts of violence committed in Gilroy, California, El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. These mass shootings—which culminated in at least 34 deaths and dozens of injuries—only make it clearer that as a nation, we are facing a public crisis of gun violence fueled by white nationalism and hatred.
Poligon President, Wardah Khalid, gave the following statement:

“The threat of white nationalism is dangerous and real. We know that the perpetrators targeted people for their race, with the El Paso shooter writing about a “Hispanic invasion of Texas” and the Gilroy shooter plugging a white power manifesto on his media channels. As we saw in New Zealand shooting, which the El Paso shooter took inspiration from, Muslim and other religious communities are also very much at risk. Over and over again, we have witnessed in horror the result of easy access to assault weapons mixed with xenophobia and hateful rhetoric. Congress must address these issues to safeguard American lives and bring our country back together. Our safety can no longer be compromised.”

Poligon calls upon Members of Congress to recognize these acts as domestic terrorism and not only update gun regulations, but also pass legislation that will work to protect American lives—not place them further in danger. Passing the S. 42 - Background Check Expansion Act will take a necessary step in preventing gun violence, as will passing the HR 8 bill in the Senate. 

We will keep the victims and the families of these mass shootings in our prayers, but we hope that tragedies of the past week serve as reminders that our work to ensure all people can live in peace and security is far from complete. 

Poligon Stands With New Zealand Muslim Community
Urges Lawmakers to Denounce and Eradicate Hate that Led to Attacks​