Washington
A group of lawmakers, including Indian-American Pramila Jayapal, has introduced a Congressional resolution condemning hatred, xenophobia, and racism against South Asian, Sikh, Arab, Muslim and Mid-Eastern communities in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Introduced on September 9 ahead of the 22nd anniversary of one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in the history of the US, the resolution recognised the tragedy and put forward a series of recommendations to support those affected by the hateful profiling after the attack.
This day irrevocably changed our country and its impact is still felt. As we mark this tragic day, we must also reflect on the lasting damages faced by Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Sikh communities in the aftermath, Congresswoman Jayapal said.
The resolution called for the creation of an interagency task force to work with community-based organisations to review government policies, investigate and document their impact, and dismantle those policies that continue to profile and unfairly target these communities.
During the first month after the attack, community organisations documented 945 incidents of bias and hate against Americans perceived to be of Middle Eastern or South Asian descent. Additionally, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and immigration authorities arrested and detained as many as 1,200 Muslims immediately after the September 11 attack, and none of these special interest detained people were ultimately indicted for terrorist activity, the resolution stated.
Along with Jayapal and Omar, representatives Rashida Tlaib, Judy Chu, Andre Carson, Shri Thanedar and Henry Calvin Johnson introduced the resolution.
