Largest US body of lawyers adopts resolution combating Islamophobia

Islamic Monitor — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 22:31:40 +0000

The American Bar Association (ABA)’s House of Delegates, the largest body of lawyers in the United States, has passed a resolution condemning Islamophobia and calling on Congress and the United Nations to implement similar resolutions combating anti-Muslim sentiment.

“RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal governments in the United States to condemn Islamophobia and to develop and implement comprehensive strategies to combat Islamophobia,” the resolution stated.

The recommended strategies mentioned in the resolution include creating awareness campaigns to educate Americans about Islam and Muslims and also new mechanisms for reporting incidents of Islamophobia and hate crimes.

The resolution also urges US Congress to adopt a bill introduced by Congresswoman Ilhan Omar to establish an office in the State Department that monitors Islamophobia – similar to the one that exists for monitoring antisemitism.

Rep. Ilhan Omar speaks to reporters in the wake of anti-Islamic comments made by Rep. Lauren Boebert who likened Omar to a bomb-carrying terrorist, during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Nov. 30, 2021. The House has taken the first formal response to Republican Rep. Boebert’s anti-Muslim remarks by passing a bill to tackle Islamophobia worldwide.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which has tracked and worked on issues of hate crimes against Muslims in the US, commended the ABA’s adoption of the measure.

Source: Middle East Eye

resolution – Islamic Research and Information Center (IRIC)

Largest US body of lawyers adopts resolution combating Islamophobia