Washington DC, On February 14th, representatives of Muslims for Peace attended a meeting organized by Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman with members of the New Jersey congressional delegation at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. Mustafa Karim, Hassan Haider, Asad Sadiq, Mustafa Abdi and Shabber Abbas met with Senators Cory Booker and Robert Menendez as well as Congressmen Donald Payne, Jr., Leonard Lance, Donald Norcross, Josh Gottheimer, Bill Pascrell, and Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman to discuss the Trump administration’s executive orders and concerns of the Muslim community in New Jersey. The meeting focused on the delegation’s response to President Trump’s executive orders and what steps can be taken to protect Muslim and immigrant communities in the coming days. All the members of the delegation expressed their concern with the administration’s actions and their effects on the community in New Jersey. The meeting also allowed various Muslim groups the opportunity to inform the members of Congress about incidents in New Jersey and the actions local authorities have taken.
“The meeting was timely, extremely productive and dignified. In my opinion it was not only heartwarming but it underlined the beauty of America in that all of those us in the meeting found common ground in the Constitution ,that forbids religious discrimination. It was an honor to be a part of such a distinguish meeting and I truly thank Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman for hosting such an important and outstanding meeting and all those in attendance. To witness the lawmakers stand in defense of our Muslim community and our right to practice our religion is a mercy from God, it brings to mind the story of the Christian King of Abyssinia who protected the Muslims during the life time of Prophet Muhammed ( saw )” stated Imam Mustafa El- Amin of Newark, NJ
Muslims for Peace thanks Congresswoman Coleman for organizing this meeting and the members of the New Jersey congressional delegation for their attendance. Muslims for Peace strives to build strong community relations through community service and activism. Through meetings with lawmakers at the local, state, and federal levels, Muslims for Peace is continuously working to have a positive impact on the local community. We look forward to a continued dialogue with these lawmakers.
After President Donald Trump re-issued his harmful restriction on refugees and immigrants from six Muslim-majority nations in Africa and the Middle East, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) joined U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and 14 senators on Tuesday in introducing legislation to reverse the executive order and block its implementation. Booker and Murphy are both members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Specifically, the bill – which is similar to legislation Booker, Murphy and their colleagues introduced in January to block the first iteration of the Trump administration’s travel ban – would withhold funding to enforce the executive order. The bill also declares the executive order illegal based on the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, which banned discrimination against immigrants on the basis of national origin.
“President Trump’s executive order is un-American, unacceptable and makes our country less safe,” said Booker. “This order violates some of our most deeply held values and Congress must act as a check on this re-branded, but nonetheless destructive and reckless Muslim ban.”
“Our job is to keep the American people safe, but this hateful ban puts lives at risk. ISIS is already using President Trump’s order and the offensive rhetoric that defined his campaign to recruit more terrorists in the Middle East and indoctrinate lone-wolves over the internet,” said Murphy. “A report by Donald Trump’s own administration found there’s no national security justification for it. Congress must pass this bill and block it now.”
Additional cosponsors include U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).
