Amplifying Muslim American voices in Congress - Press Releases

Poligon Condemns the Administration's Expansion of Muslim Ban

2/3/2020

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.

Three Years Later, Poligon Education Fund Continues to Condemn the Muslim Travel Ban

1/27/2020

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/

Poligon Calls Congress to Act on Mass Shootings and Domestic Terrorism

8/8/2019

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

3/15/2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 15, 2019
CONTACT: info@poligonnational.org

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

Washington, D.C. - Poligon Education Fund is heartbroken at news of the horrific shooting in two New Zealand mosques, which resulted in at least 49 deaths and dozens of injuries of Muslims attending Friday prayers there.

"No one should ever feel unsafe in their house of worship,” Poligon Founder and President, Wardah Khalid, said. “Unfortunately, such attacks, which have targeted the Muslim community and other faith communities before, will happen again unless we address the xenophobic, racist, and Islamophobic campaign that fueled them. Thoughts and prayers are not enough.”

Poligon stood in solidarity with the American Jewish community after the tragic Pittsburgh synagogue shooting last October and has continuously joined interfaith partners in calling on Members of Congress and the President to denounce hateful policies like the Muslim Ban and pass legislation condemning hate crimes. Tragedies like the Christchurch shooting serve as reminders that our work to ensure all people can live in peace and security is far from complete.

We will keep the victims and their families in our prayers. Those who wish to do so may donate to the United for Christchurch Mosque campaign here.

Poligon Education Fund is a non profit, non-partisan organization working to strengthen Muslim American engagement with Congress through education and advocacy on issues of concern to the community and its allies. Learn more at www.poligonnational.org.

Poligon Education Fund Welcomes Passage of the Farm Bill

12/20/2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 20, 2018
CONTACT: info@poligonnational.org

Washington, D.C. - Poligon Education Fund welcomes the passage of H.R. 2 and S. 3042, also known as The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 or Farm Bill.
"Poligon applauds the bipartisan effort which led to the passage of this bill and is grateful to have worked with many organizational partners and faith communities to protect SNAP and other benefits that Americans rely on to survive,” said Poligon Founder and President, Wardah Khalid. “The alternative would have been devastating for these Americans and runs counter to our values as Muslim Americans. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) once said, ‘He is not a Muslim who goes to bed satiated while his neighbor goes hungry.'"

Earlier in the year, Poligon expressed concern at an ultimately failed version of the bill. Proposing to cut $20 billion dollars in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits over the next 10 years, which is equivalent to 13 billion meals, and impose harsher work requirements on those seeking to access food assistance, created additional barriers to SNAP participation. While the recently passed bill is not perfect, it, fortunately, did not implement the original cuts that caused the bill to fail.
There are still ways that SNAP and other benefits can be curtailed on an administrative level, and Poligon will continue to work to oppose them. In the meantime, we welcome this victory as a necessary step to keep the program funded.

Poligon Education Fund is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization working to strengthen Muslim American engagement with Congress through training, education, and advocacy on issues of concern to the community and its allies. Learn more at www.poligonnational.org.

Poligon Condemns Supreme Court Decision to Uphold Muslim Ban

6/26/2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 26, 2018
CONTACT: info@poligonnational.org

Washington, D.C. - Poligon Education Fund strongly denounces today’s Supreme Court decision to uphold the third iteration of the Muslim Ban in the case of Trump v. Hawaii. In doing so, the Court ignored President Trump’s intention to ban Muslims from entering the United States via his numerous anti-Muslim remarks. The decision does not change the fact that the ban is nothing short of un-American and Islamophobic.

“This is a dark day in our nation's history,” said Poligon President, Wardah Khalid. “The Supreme Court's ruling sends a deeply disturbing message to the American people and the world: that it is permissible to discriminate against people on the basis of their faith. We have seen the devastating impact this ban has already had on refugees and immigrants from Muslim majority countries. It also brings to mind another dark period in our history, when the Court upheld state-sponsored internment of Japanese Americans. This is an ominous sign for what is yet to come from this administration.”

“As with the first iteration of the Muslim ban, we are confident that the American people shall see the ruling for what it is: a shameful and clear betrayal of our American values that guarantees basic freedoms for all. The fight is not over. We will continue to urge Congress to speak out against the ban, pass legislation to rescind the executive order, block federal funding for it, and implement accountability and oversight over the administration for this Islamophobic policy.”

Poligon Education Fund is a non profit, non-partisan organization working to strengthen Muslim American engagement with Congress through education and advocacy on issues of concern to the community and its allies. Learn more at www.poligonnational.org.

###

Poligon Celebrates Defeat of the House Farm Bill

5/18/2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 18, 2018
CONTACT: info@poligonnational.org

Washington, D.C. - Poligon Education Fund welcomes the defeat of HR 2, Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018, also known as the Farm Bill, in the House of Representatives today. The version of the bill that failed to pass proposed to cut $20 billion dollars in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits over the next 10 years, the equivalent of 13 billion meals, and impose harsher work requirements on those seeking to access food assistance, creating additional barriers to SNAP participation.
“Poligon is honored to have worked with many organizational partners and faith communities to fight against the Farm Bill’s proposal to cut funding for SNAP, and its defeat in the House today is a welcome victory,” said Poligon Acting Executive Director Afif Rahman. “SNAP is a tremendously effective program against hunger and poverty, serving nearly 42 million Americans and lifting up 8 million people out of poverty on an annual basis. In this holy month of Ramadan, we are reminded that the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said, ‘He who fills his stomach while his neighbor next door goes hungry, is not a believer.’”
“While the fight is not over as the Farm Bill awaits to be brought forth for another vote soon, we hope that Members of Congress draft a version that protects SNAP and does not punish those in need for being poor.”

Poligon Education Fund urges request members of Congress on both sides of the aisle embrace democracy and bipartisanship to draft a Farm Bill that protects and increases funding for SNAP and does not force Americans to decide between working and staying alive.
Poligon Education Fund is a non profit, non-partisan organization working to strengthen Muslim American engagement with Congress through education and advocacy on issues of concern to the community and its allies. Learn more at www.poligonnational.org.

###

Poligon Commends Federal Appeals Court Decision Against Muslim Ban 3.0

2/15/2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 15, 2018
CONTACT: info@poligonnational.org

Washington, D.C. - Poligon Education Fund welcomes the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision against President Trump’s third Muslim ban. The Court found that despite superficial revisions of previous versions of the travel ban, it “continues to exhibit a primarily religious anti-Muslim objective.”

The ban prevents immigrants and many visitors from Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen - as well as certain Venezuelan government officials and their families - from entering the United States. Six of the eight countries affected are majority-Muslim. Despite being blocked by multiple district courts, the Supreme Court has allowed the ban to remain in effect while lawsuits against it proceed through the judicial process.

“Just as with the ruling against the ban by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in December, this ruling affirms that the ban is unconstitutional and goes against our nation’s values of religious freedom,” said Poligon Acting Executive Director Afif Rahman. “However, families separated by the ban are still waiting for relief from this oppressive policy. Unless Congress acts to block implementation of the ban, we will have to wait until the Supreme Court issues a ruling on whether it is constitutional.”

Poligon Education Fund strongly opposes all iterations of the Muslim ban and continues to encourage members of Congress to do the same.

Poligon Education Fund is a non profit, non-partisan organization working to strengthen Muslim American engagement with Congress through education and advocacy on issues of concern to the community and its allies. Learn more at www.poligonnational.org.

###

Poligon Education Fund Denounces Passage of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

12/20/2017

H.R. 1 Will Harm Most Americans

Washington, D.C. - Poligon Education Fund denounces the passage of H.R. 1, The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, by both houses of Congress today.

The bill is expected to increase the federal deficit by at least $1.5 trillion over the next ten years, paving the way for possible future cuts to critical programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and welfare assistance. The bill also repeals the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act, which would likely increase health insurance premiums by at least 10 percent annually and lead to millions more Americans being uninsured. Americans making $75,000 or less - including 70 percent of Muslim Americans - could also see their taxes increase by 2027.

Poligon Acting Executive Director Afif Rahman issued the following statement:

“Many faith traditions, including Islam, call on us to protect and help the most vulnerable in our society. This bill goes against these common values and instead gives the wealthy and corporations massive tax cuts that are ultimately paid for by low- and middle-income Americans. The overwhelming majority of Americans have consistently voiced that this plan does not benefit them and instead benefits a wealthy minority at their expense. Passing this bill sends a signal to the public that members of Congress have ignored their voices in favor of narrow special interests.”

Poligon believes that the strength of our nation and our economy is defined by the safety, security, welfare, and opportunities afforded to those who are the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in society. Access to quality education and healthcare, economic opportunity, and financial stability form an essential foundation for a stronger, inclusive, and equitable country. This tax bill threatens this foundation and the lives of millions of Americans, and it is a stain on our history as a nation. Poligon will continue to urge Congress to protect and advance policies and programs that preserve and expand fair pathways to success for all Americans.

Poligon Education Fund is a non profit, non-partisan organization working to strengthen Muslim American engagement with Congress through research and education on issues of concern to the community and its allies. Learn more at www.poligonnational.org.

###

Poligon Education Fund Condemns Executive Order on “Extreme Vetting” for Refugees

10/25/2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OCTOBER 25, 2017
CONTACT: info@poligonnational.org

Washington, D.C. - Poligon Education Fund condemns President Trump’s executive order to institute “extreme vetting” procedures for refugees seeking admittance into the United States, along with a 90-day restriction on refugee resettlement for stateless Palestinians and citizens from 11 countries. Unofficial reports indicate that the 11 countries come from a pre-existing list of countries designated for Security Advisory Opinion refugee screenings, and nine of the countries - Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Mali, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen - are predominantly Muslim.

In addition to new mandates including social media checks, the executive order requires refugee status applicants to provide detailed background information such as employment for the past ten years, doubling the existing requirement of five years. Applicants will also be required to list addresses for all immediate family members, which could be infeasible if some family members are also escaping conflict.

"Refugees already go through a rigorous vetting process to gain entry to the United States, and there is no evidence that refugees are a security threat to our country," said Afif Rahman, Acting Executive Director of Poligon Education Fund. "These burdensome new requirements will severely reduce the number of refugees admitted. By specifically targeting countries with large Muslim populations, this executive order reflects a flawed, prejudiced view of Muslims as inherently threatening to our national security. It is effectively a refugee ban and a Muslim ban by another name, and it goes against our country’s values of rejecting religious and ethnic discrimination."

Poligon supports the continuation of the United States’ tradition of welcoming refugees, and continues to work with members of Congress toward this end. With the administration’s repeated use of divisive rhetoric and promulgation of unfounded narratives and discriminatory policies around refugee resettlements, Congress must urgently execute its responsibility to block such an irresponsible course of action and protect the promise of the United States as a land of prosperity and refuge for all.

Poligon Education Fund is a non profit, non-partisan organization working to strengthen Muslim American engagement with Congress through research and education on issues of concern to the community and its allies. Learn more at www.poligonnational.org.

###