Take Action and Defeat Anti-BDS bill in Congress!

Bill would curtail First Amendment rights! Contact your Rep today!

The American Muslims for Palestine, as a member of the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation and whose Media Director Kristin Szremski sits on its Steering Committee, is asking our followers to support this important action put out today the by US Campaign. The Zionist lobby has pressured certain Congressmen to introduce a bill that would cut off federal funding to universities and other institutions where any activities related to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement take place. This could seriously hamper our work for Palestinian justice!

Please read the US Campaign's plea below and take action!

Legislating against BDS
by Josh Ruebner, National Advocacy Director
February 12th, 2014

Take Action: Contact Your Rep. to Oppose Anti-BDS Legislation

In December, the American Studies Association’s (ASA) membership voted two to one to endorse the boycott of Israeli academic institutions in what was a watershed victory for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaigns in this country.

Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) is trying to legislate against BDS.

This vote prompted a furious backlash from the Israel lobby, part of which included an effort to organize 134 Representatives to send a letter to ASA President Curtis Marez recklessly accusing the ASA of “bigotry and bias against the Jewish State.”

Now, Reps. Peter Roskam (R-IL) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL) have introduced H.R.4009, the Orwellian-entitled Protect Academic Freedom Act. In contravention of the First Amendment, this bill would deny federal funding to academic institutions “participating in” the academic boycott of Israel.

This bill would even ban funding for institutions in which organizations receiving university funding adopt resolutions or issues statements in support of the academic boycott.

Take action now and send a clear signal to your Member of Congress that you strongly oppose H.R.4009 and any attempt by Congress to deny our First Amendment right to advocate for BDS.

Rather than protecting academic freedom as they claim to be doing, these Members of Congress are attempting to deny academics their First Amendment right to speak and organize and, in the process, to undermine the BDS movement.

Predictably, neither last month’s “Dear Colleague” letter nor this new legislation make any mention of Palestinians’ lack of academic freedom under brutal Israeli military occupation, or Israeli universities’ complicity in their government’s oppression of Palestinians.

Make no mistake: the Israel lobby is so fearful of the BDS movement that it is trying to mobilize its allies in Congress to stop it.

Sincerely,

Josh Ruebner
National Advocacy Director
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation

AMP fully supports the US Campaign's action! Won't you help us defeat this freedom-restricting bill?