9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance
On Saturday, October 6th, a group of about twenty AAI staff and community members teamed up to participate in the annual September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance. Each year, AAI participates alongside groups across the country in commemorating the victims of the tragic terrorist attacks and the courage...
Ahed Tamimi Fights for Freedom and Social Justice
Many of us who are active in the struggle for justice in Palestine have filled endless posts, tweets and columns explaining the injustice of Israel's occupation. While these words can describe that injustice intellectually, they can hardly convey the true impact of that occupation on the Palestinian people. But if...
AAI Opposes Attempt to Stifle Protests in DC
On Friday, October 12, AAI submitted comments to the National Park Service (NPS) outlining our opposition the proposed changes regarding demonstrations and special events in the National Capital Region. If enacted, these changes will drastically limit Americans’ ability to exercise their First Amendment rights in notable places like Lafayette Square...
The Nation-State Law and Its Implications
On October 2, 2018, the Arab American Institute partnered with the Mossawa Center and the Al-Tulafa Center to host a panel discussion on Capitol Hill about Israel’s recent Nation-State law and its implications for democracy, equality, and peace in Israel and Palestine. AAI joined long-time activist Jafar Farah, who is...
AAI Letter Challenges Treatment of Lara Alqasem by Israel
On Friday, October 12, AAI sent Secretary of State Mike Pompeo a letter explaining the Institute’s concerns about the treatment of Lara Alqasem and other Arab Americans at Israeli-controlled border crossings. On October 2, Alqasem traveled to Israel on a valid student visa to study human rights at Hebrew University. ...
AAI Responds to Confirmation of Eric Dreiband
Arab American Civil Rights Group Responds to Confirmation of Eric Dreiband as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division in the Department of Justice WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Arab American Institute Executive Director Maya Berry released the following statement in response to the Senate’s confirmation of Eric Dreiband as...
Victory on Airline Discrimination
Victory on Airline Discrimination FAA Law Includes New Requirement on Nondiscrimination Training WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2018 was signed into law on Friday, October 5, 2018. The bill includes section 407, titled “Training policies regarding racial, ethnic, and religious nondiscrimination,” which outlines requirements...
The Scapegoating of Minorities as National Security Policy
On September 20, 2018, the George Washington University Law School convened “The Scapegoating of Minorities as National Security Policy” panel as part of the NATSECDEF conference. Laila al-Arian of Al Jazeera led a discussion between Deepa Iyer, author of We Too Sing America, and former Executive Director of South Asian...
Examining First Amendment Rights on Campus
In a hearing on Wednesday, September 26th, the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce addressed the topic of free speech on college campuses. To begin, Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) stated that institutions of higher education “curbing speech” via anti-harassment policies threaten to undermine the cultivation of students’ critical...
AAI Joins Congressional Briefing on Hate Crime
By Anastasia Horn About one percent of hate crimes committed in the United States are reported in official statistics. Despite the lack of adequate data, we know that specific communities, including Arab Americans and American Muslims, currently face an increased risk of targeted violence. On September 6, 2018, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) hosted a briefing...
