Several Congress members have introduced a resolution that recognizes the tragedy of the September 11th attacks and condemns the racism that rose in the aftermath.
The resolution was introduced on September 8 by U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Judy Chu (D-CA) and André Carson (D-IN).
The resolution acknowledges the tremendous loss of life on September 11. It also recognizes the extreme racism and xenophobia that came after the attacks. Congresswoman Jayapal specifically pointed to the murders of Balbir Singh Sodhi, Waqar Hassan, and Adel Karas in a press release published by her office.
“On September 11th, 2001, we lost thousands of lives to the worst terrorist attack to ever happen on American soil. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost in the attack and more than 4,500 others have died since from related illnesses – 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,” said Congresswoman Jayapal.
“The murders of Balbir Singh Sodhi, Waqar Hassan, and Adel Karas in the days following the attack were shocking displays of hatred. Xenophobia and racism have no place in this country, and today we recognize the shared trauma that these communities faced as they experienced stigma, discrimination, and losses of liberty.”
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The resolution also offers recommendations to support people impacted by racism and xenophobia after 9/11. According to a press release, the recommendations include:
- “Calling for the creation of an interagency task force to work with community-based organizations to review government policies, investigate and document their impact, and dismantle those policies that continue to profile and unfairly target these communities;
- Calling for hearings by congressional and civil rights bodies to explore the findings and recommendations of this interagency task force in consultation with and centering community-based organizations;
- Supporting allocating resources to community-based organizations outside and independent of law enforcement that center the experiences and demands of Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Sikh communities to both support hate crime prevention and the needs of victims of hate and State violence, including language support, mental health, comprehensive support, system navigation, and crisis response and recovery; and create alternatives to law enforcement and transformative justice programs that are culturally and linguistically accessible and focus on vulnerable populations within these communities; and
- Calling on the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the National Institute of Health, and the National Science Foundation to work together to study the impact of hate, government targeting, political rhetoric, and profiling on physical and mental health.”
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Excellent!