FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 26th, 2020
Contact: info@poligonnational.org

Poligon Education Fund Joins Muslim Coalition to Share Results of ‘Muslims in America Policy Poll’
Washington, D.C. - Yesterday a coalition of national Muslim organizations released the results of their pre-election “Muslims in America Policy Poll” – an online survey of 1,500 Muslims in America that highlights issue and policy priorities of the Muslim community just months before the 2020 General Election. 

READ THE SURVEY: https://www.poligonnational.org/resources.html

WATCH THE LIVESTREAM PRESENTATION: https://www.facebook.com/406859649705218/videos/600924637260465/

Highlights of survey results, announced at a livestream news conference, include:

• In asking what general issues were the most pressing priorities for Muslim Americans, the poll found civil rights (over 80%) was the greatest priority followed by healthcare (over 65%); education; foreign policy; immigration; climate change, energy, and the environment; economy, national security; and other.
• American Muslims have prioritize issue areas similarly to non-Muslim allies such as Civil Rights and Healthcare.
• Over 60% of Muslim respondents would like to see policy changes to the Muslim Ban, which allows vast immigration restrictions for travelers from several Muslim-predominate countries.
• Over 45% of Muslim respondents would like to see policy changes in these four areas: international humanitarian, religious discrimination, Medicare for all, and gun control.
• Among the various age groups examined, most ages agreed they would like to see a policy change to the Muslim Ban. Over 75% of seventy and over age group of Muslim respondents agree that they want to see a policy change with the Muslim Ban.
• In the key battleground states of Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, heading into the election — the issues of Civil Rights, Healthcare, Immigration and Education prove to be the biggest issue area of concern for Muslims.

The report also noted that in a separate voter report published by Emgage, just from Florida, Ohio, Michigan, and Virginia alone Muslim turnout jumped from about 130,000 votes to over 285,000 from 2014 to 2018.
 
Report sponsors plan to use the results of this report to engage candidates, elected officials, to advocate for policy reforms that serve the best interests of the Muslim community in America.

ABOUT THE POLL:
 
The poll’s 1500 respondents reflected a snapshot of the diverse Muslim community— comprising of African American/Black, Arab/Middle Eastern, South Asians and White community members from over 45 states.
 
The poll was conducted online over the course of January 2020-June 2020, just ahead of the November elections. The poll’s responses that survey participants could choose from on “pressing policy issues” and “policy changes” that respondents wanted to see were predetermined and presented without any politicizing context.
 
The highest percentage of participants of the survey were between the ages of 40-54 (21%) and 55-69 (17%). In contrast, the lowest percentage of respondents were under the age of 18. The poll was conducted online over the course of January 2020-June 2020, just ahead of the November elections.

LIVESTREAM: "Muslims in America Policy Poll," What Muslims Want Heading into the 2020 General Election

​Washington, D.C. - Today a coalition of national Muslim organizations will release the results of their pre-election “Muslims in America Policy Poll” - an online survey of 1,500 Muslims in America that highlights issue and policy priorities of the Muslim community just months before the 2020 General Election.
Join national Muslim organizations live today, Tuesday August 25 at 12 p.m. (ET) to learn more about what priority policies American Muslims - especially those in key battleground states - would like to see addressed in the upcoming election.

Watch the Livestream: https://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational/live/ 
[NOTE: Please submit your questions to aajeen@cair.com]

Poll results will answer:

• What are the most important issues for Muslims?
• What are the policy changes Muslims would like to see?
• How Muslims views differ by key battleground states (PA, WI, FL, MI)?

The poll was created and distributed through a partnership of Muslim organizations including America Indivisible, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Emgage USA, Jetpac, Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), MPower Change and Poligon Education Fund — consolidating efforts to educate and mobilize a Muslim constituency. 
​
Speakers include: 
Robert S. McCaw, CAIR Director of Government Affairs Department
Ishraq Ali, MPower Change, Organizing Director
Zayn Hasan, Poligon Education Fund, Legislative Fellow
Mohammed Missouri, Jetpac Executive Director
Aysha Ahmed, Deputy Organizing Director, Emgage Action
Lida Azim, Program Director, America Indivisible 
Adam Beddawi, Policy Analyst, Muslim Public Affairs Council

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​