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MAF | Abolitionist V. Reforms Tool

The Muslim Abolitionist Futures (MAF) Network is working towards building a world where we all live with dignity, freedom and justice. MAF’s goal is to abolish the “Global War on Terror (GWOT).” GWOT is a system of death and destruction that exists through policies, programs, and laws that target Muslim communities, communities racialized as Muslim, and more broadly Black and Brown communities targeted under the false guise of national security.  

This tool was developed by the Muslim Abolitionist Futures Network’s Abolition and Policy Working Group that is led by Muslims for Just Futures. Muslim Abolitionist Futures is a network of grassroots organizations across the country, and is co-anchored by Muslims for Just Futures, Vigilant Love, HEART Women & Girls, and Queer Crescent. The goal of this tool is to support organizations, collectives, groups, and community members committed to moving with abolitionist values in their policy advocacy efforts. The intention is to support groups and community members discern the type of policies that expand and further entrench the Global War on Terror, and the type of policies that can move us toward its abolition. The hope is to share a framework for policy objectives and oversight demands that move us toward our collaborative vision of abolition to the “Global War on Terror.”

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Reviving Sisterhood | Shifting From Hate to Health: Benefits of Leading From within Community

Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and white nationalism are weapons of racism promoting fear and isolation and putting individuals and entire communities at risk for stress, trauma, isolation, and poor health. Listen to the full session here!

The current social and political context fosters hate speech and acts of hate against Muslims and Jews. Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and white nationalism are weapons of racism promoting fear and isolation and putting individuals and entire communities at risk for stress, trauma, isolation, and poor health. By investing in organizations led by communities under attack—and through robust, genuine, and reciprocal relationships—grantee partners are shifting the focus from hate to health. In this Quick Take, hear from Jewish and Muslim leaders, and learn successful strategies to creating safer and more welcoming communities and drafting actionable steps for your organization.

Reviving Sisterhood | Muslim Sheroes of Minnesota

In 2016, Reviving Sisterhood kicked off its Muslim Sheroes of Minnesota series — a storytelling project to amplify girls and women in our community who aren’t waiting for permission to change the world. The project includes a series of video shorts, a collection of stories, and a podcast/radio show, as well as a set of illustrations. Each story features a Shero — a female trailblazer who is creating change in her community. She takes risks, she challenges misconceptions and addresses injustices. Sheroes are on a mission to build a better world, and the Sisterhood is here to support them and uplift their voices. View the Muslim Sheroes of Minnesota here. A Muslim Sheroes of Minnesota educational guide was also created in partnership with Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) is available to download through PBS Learning Media. The guide includes lesson plans and discussion questions for children and students grades 6-12.

Justice For Muslims Collective (JMC) Civic Engagement Campaign

Dear Community,

We are less than a week away from one of the most important elections of our lifetime. Today, we are thrilled to launch our JMC election brief called, We Count: Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, and South Asian (AMEMSA) Voters in Virginia. The brief gives an overview of our civic engagement campaign to call 65,000 AMEMSA voters in Virginia, our findings from a survey we conducted with low-propensity working-class voters in Northern Virginia, community reflections on civic engagement campaigns, and resources. Read the full brief here and share it! 

Overall we found from a survey with 176 voters that:

  • The overwhelming majority of AMEMSA registered voters who took our survey stated a strong yes (86%) to voting in November. A small minority (3%) stated a strong no to voting during this election.

  • Issue Areas and Priorities: The two leading issues our respondents wanted the next President to prioritize were fighting racism and Islamophobia (40%) and expanding access to affordable healthcare (36%).

  • Public Health: The top two public health issues that voters wanted to be addressed were COVID19 (52%) and expanding access to affordable healthcare (39%).

  • Public Safety: The top 3 public safety issues that voters wanted to be addressed were hate crimes against people of color (38%)and police accountability and reform (36%). In addition, 17 percent of voters who took our survey stated government surveillance of mosques and Muslim communities was their number one public safety issue they wanted to be addressed.

2020 Census and COVID-19 Update

In the wake of COVID-19, the Census Bureau has made operational changes to the Census 2020 operations. The deadline for self response online, by phone or by returning the paper questionnaire has been extended to September 30th. Right now, our priority is clear: complete the census online, by phone, or by mail. It has never been easier to self-respond!

TAKE ACTION! Make sure you and your family are counted! #MuslimsCount2020 #CountUsIn #AAPI2020 #WeCount #OurTimetoCount

Visit EMGAGE’s page on the 2020 Census for more information and answers to frequently asked questions about the Census: https://emgageusa.org/census-2020/. EMGAGE has also produced a PDF with information on the 2020 Census and the Muslim community in the U.S.

Check out the PDF here

Reviving Sisterhood | Anti-Blackness Resources

In the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, Oluwatoyin Salau, Riah Milton, Dominique Fells, and so many others, we have been reminded of the anti-Blackness that exists in our community. As an organization of Muslim women committed to building sisterhood and advancing social equity, Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood for Empowerment is opening space for our community to learn and grow as anti-racist activists, advocates, and allies.

We know that our sisters are drawn together by the simple fact that we are Muslim women, but these two identities do not capture the fullness of who we are as Black, Brown, working class, immigrants, refugees, first-generation college students, mothers, survivors of gender-based violence, Deaf, Deaf+, Sunni, Shia, Hanafi, and more. Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood for Empowerment seeks to bring us together in sisterhood so that we may see one another with all of the identities that we hold, whether those identities present us with increased opportunities for access or increased barriers.

Visit their Anti-Blackness Resources page here

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Reviving Sisterhood | Anti-Racism Workshops

By following the Prophetic model, Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood for Empowerment is rooted in the Sunnah and reminded of the diversity of identities and how they show up. These workshops provide language, examples, tools, techniques and most importantly sisterhood in order to change a system. If your organization or group would like to receive training, contact the organization for more information related to pricing, timing and details about each workshop.

Read more about their Anti-Racism workshops here

Anti-Racism workshop topics include: intersectionality, confronting white supremacy, unveiling unconscious bias, Muslims & the myth of the racial superiority, ally as a verb, and Islamophobia & antisemitism.

National Muslim Task Force | Joint Statement on COVID-19

In a joint statement with the National Muslim Task Force on COVID-19, EMGAGE Florida strongly recommends that Muslims in North America make every effort to support self-quarantine and social distancing as advised by your local, regional, state, and national public health or government authorities. Congregants should avoid all public gatherings to protect themselves, their families, and communities.

The National Muslim Task Force on COVID-19 is providing this guidance to mosques, schools, and community centers throughout the United States. These critical actions are needed to help minimize and prevent harm from the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic is dangerous for many reasons: Anyone can get this disease; there is no vaccine for the disease and no immunity from it; there are no known treatments for the disease; many people with no symptoms are spreading the virus.

The Task Force recommends to mosques, community centers, schools, and other public centers, that all non-essential gatherings be suspended immediately until further notice. Mosques and community centers should follow guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in accordance with local and national public health authorities. These recommendations apply to communities at risk of COVID-19 and where recommended or required by local, regional, state, and national public health or government authorities.

Read the full Joint Statement From the National Muslim Task Force on COVID-19 here

Reviving Sisterhood | COVID-19 Resources in South Asian Languages

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood for Empowerment has created a variety of resource materials in various South Asian languages, including:

  • Ramadan Guides from the Minnesota Department of Health in three different languages
  • Video tutorials  – We know COVID-19 has exacerbated the barriers to healthcare that many refugee and immigrant populations face. Church World Service (CWS) worked with medical professionals and community experts from refugee communities in the United States to create informational videos in 11 languages, many of which are spoken by communities that don’t have COVID-19 information specifically tailored for them.