US House Democrats Pass What Could Be First ‘Muslim Civil Rights Bill’
The US House of Representatives last Wednesday passed legislation that has been called the first Muslim civil rights bill in US history.
The bill would outright prohibit any future president from using religious discrimination as grounds for restricting immigration.
Dubbed the NO BAN Act – short for National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants – it was introduced in April 2019 by Delaware Senator Chris Coons and California Rep. Judy Chu.
“This is a historic moment for Muslims,” Farhana Khera, executive director of Muslim Advocates, one of the groups working in support of the bill, said ahead of the vote.
She added that passage of the act will show Muslims “deserve rights and dignity”.
The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) praised the outcome: “The collective decision by the House to reject … racism and xenophobia is commendable. This is the first expressly Muslim civil rights act in our nation’s long and often harsh history.”
The bill passed 233-183 with unanimous support among all House Democrats who voted. They were joined by two Republicans who crossed the aisle to vote yes: Texas Rep. Will Hurd and Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.
The bill will now move to the Republican-led Senate, where it is unlikely to clear before it can be signed into law.
The White House expressed opposition to the legislation in March, saying that undoing the travel ban “would harm the national security of the United States” and that the ban has been “central to the Administration’s ongoing efforts to safeguard the American people against the spread of COVID-19.”
While the prospect for passage through Congress this year is dim, the measure is a symbolic victory for Muslim American and civil rights groups, and a way to keep public pressure on for a future rollback of the policy.
The bill also signals a key priority for the Democratic Party ahead of the US presidential elections in November. It allows Democrats to present themselves as a party that is welcoming to immigrants.
Today, the House passed the #NoBanAct because no one should be discriminated against or singled out based on the faith they practice. I will end President Trump's Muslim Ban on day one and sign this bill into law.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 22, 2020
On Monday, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, who is courting Muslim votes, told a Muslim political organization that he would reverse the ban “on day one” if elected president.
Biden has pledged to work with Congress on new legislation aimed at reducing hate crimes and ending religious and racial profiling. He has also promised to appoint Muslims in his administration. – TRT World
ShuraCommends US House for Passing No Ban Act
The Islamic Shura Council of Southern California commends the United States House on passing the NO BAN Act (HR 2486, formerly HR 2214). Shura urges the US Senate to pass the resolution as well, says an announcement. It adds:
Shura, and the Southern California Muslim community, is proud of US Rep. Judy Chu from Southern California, who had initially presented the resolution last year. Shura also recognizes the activists and Shura member organizations for consistently advocating for Muslim rights and playing a major role nationwide.
If it were to become law, the bill would overturn the efforts to redesign immigration policies which reflect bigotry. In addition to adding procedural checks to this authority, the bill would introduce a prohibition against religious discrimination in immigration-related decisions into an existing provision which bars discrimination on the basis of race, religion, nationality, etc. It would also expand the nondiscrimination provision to apply to the issuance of non-immigrant visas and the consideration of other immigration benefits, with limited exceptions.
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