**Here is the summary of the policy agend!**
Justice for Muslims Collective, HEART Women & Girls, Vigilant Love, the Partnership to End Gendered Islamophobia, Project South, the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA), and the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR) are thrilled to launch “Abolishing the War on Terror, Building Communities of Care” grassroots policy agenda.
This agenda is a labor of love, a product of lived expertise, and a model for community care. As the Biden Administration, alongside a new Congress sets the course for the next four years, we are calling for abolishing the War on Terror and reinvesting resources into structures of community care.
The agenda is broken into 2 main sections - one calling on abolishing and divesting from harmful state policies and the second building our communities of care. We call for abolishing and divesting from:
Violence, War, Imperialism & the War on Terror Infrastructure
Wars, Imperialism, and Militarism Abroad Under the War on Terror
Military Funding to Israel and Palestine
Immigration, Refugee, Asylum Policies, Programs & Institutions
Mass Surveillance
Prisons, Jails & Pipelines to Prison.
We call on investing into:
Anti-Poverty, Health Justice & Housing Justice
Covid-19
Reproductive Justice
Disability Justice
Community-Led Justice
Voting Rights, Census, & Structural Democratic Shifts
Gender-Based Violence and Gender Justice
Environmental and Climate Justice
We hope this agenda is used as an educational tool and resource for communities impacted by the War on Terror, grassroots organizations, movement groups, and policymakers in order to build power, heal, and enact change at the local, state, and federal level.
Coming forward as a survivor of sexual violence is an incredible act of bravery and courage. While families, friends, and therapists do much to support their loved ones through this process, it is crucial to note that the legal process can also be very lengthy, difficult, and emotionally draining, despite the fact that seeking justice can be empowering and satisfying. It is crucial for family, friends, and professionals to stand by their loved ones through every part of the process. These are some tips to keep in mind.
The allegations of sexual violence against religious leaders are an important opening to educate the public about the
realities of sexual violence. The specifics of each case are different, but our role as advocates is always to support survivors and help everyone understand sexual violence. These actions are a grievous breach of trust. When a faith leader in any mosque, synagogue, church or other house of worship commits harm against someone, he/she breaks the bonds of trust and honesty with that community. He/she has abused the responsibility they have been given by the community and should be held accountable for his/her actions. During these instances, it is important for us to reflect on how our faith and values guide us. It is important for us to not act out of fear or past loyalty but rather to act in the spirit of our tradition, which asks us to enjoin good and forbid injustice.
This guide offers parents information on sexual violence and practical tools on how to have ongoing conversations about this important topic throughout childhood and adolescent. Written in a FAQ format, you will find the following information in this guide: background information on sexual violence, including definitions and statistics, how to recognize if your child is a victim of sexual violence and tips on how to have these conversations in an age-appropriate manner with each of your children.
This reproductive justice framework bridges the systemic with the communal and interpersonal barriers to care and offers a vision for what it means for an individual to exercise a fullness of choice over their bodies, safety and healthcare. Most importantly, this framework prioritizes the inclusion of the lived experiences and needs of impacted Muslims navigating sexual and reproductive decision making. This framework is a way to contextualize the struggles so many in our communities are dealing with in our specific socio-cultural and political landscape. It honors the role that Islam can and does play for empowered, faith aligned, and informed reproductive agency for Muslims.
This video is one of three that were created for Sexual Assault Awareness Month (2019), by spoken word artists in the DC area, in collaboration with The Sanctuaries. This spoken word piece is titled "Time"
As we witness powerful organizing across colleges in the US, we are reminded time and time again that we keep each other safe. For that safety to be sustained, we must also recognize harm can and will happen within our organizing spaces. We must recognize that we are all capable of harm and therefore, must be ready for accountability when asked of us, on multiple levels
Check out this resource to explore more on faith informed approaches to accountability!
