Rep. Chu Recognizes Muslim Contributions to America in New Resolution

Congresswoman's statement on Muslim Contributions in America.

Washington, DC — Yesterday, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) introduced H.Res. 869 to recognize the history and contributions of American Muslims to our country. The resolution, introduced days before the start of the holy month of Ramadan, recounts the history of American Muslims from the earliest arrivals brought here as slaves through their contributions in the military, architecture, sciences, sports, civil rights, and more. Rep. Chu released the following statement:

“At a time when a President can get elected by proclaiming a desire to ‘ban all Muslims from entering our country,’ I feel it is incumbent to remind ourselves of the important role Muslims have always played here. American Muslims have always been here. They have served bravely in our military, stood under our flag at the Olympics, designed world famous skyscrapers that define our cityscapes, brought home Nobel prizes, and fought to expand civil rights. In short, our country is better off because we did not let bigotry deprive us of the contributions of others. And we should not start doing that now. This resolution is about ensuring that Muslims know they have a home here, they are appreciated, and they are as American as anybody else. But it’s also about the soul of our nation. We were founded on religious freedom and the belief that anybody could become an American. If we allow that to change now – at the hands of a president pushing an agenda of fear and division for his own political gain – we threaten the very ideals that make America a beacon of freedom, democracy, and opportunity to the world.”