Loading ...Arab Americans Take Proactive Stance on Gun Control
By Emiliya Strahilova/Arab America Contributing Writer
After the Women’s March became a worldwide protest advocating for multiple civil rights reforms, now it’s the turn of March for Our Lives–a powerful stream demanding urgent changes in gun control legislation. Student organizers are planning the march in collaboration with the nonprofit organization, Everytown for Gun Safety. The youth activists won millions of followers in less than two weeks and got praised by numerous influential famous personalities.
Amal Clooney made a memorable appearance at the 2018 Watermark Conference for Women last Friday. As a motivational role model, she encouraged women to be persistent and always follow their passion. At the same event, she shared how inspired she was by the survivors of the Stoneman High School shooting: “I am just blown away by these students. I think they are doing an amazing job turning a tragedy into advocacy.”
Earlier last week, the celebrated human rights attorney of Lebanese origin, announced she and her husband, George Clooney, were donating $500,000 for the cause of the Never Again Movement. Furthermore, the celebrity couple will physically attend the March for Our Lives in Washington DC. Instantly, other world-famous personalities followed and supported the March, which is expanding rapidly and is now a National Rally that includes 70 sister marches organized across the country. Some of the most popular people who followed Amal and her husband in their appeal for gun reforms, are Oprah Winfrey, Stephen Spielberg, and Reese Witherspoon.
We want to express extreme gratitude for the amazing donation that George Clooney and his family have made to the #MarchForOurLives. We are overwhelmed with the support, and we can’t wait to march. #NeverAgain pic.twitter.com/h5xGZLNuZk
— #NeverAgain (@NeverAgainMSD) February 20, 2018
Stars from the entertainment industry are not the only ones who publicly criticize the U.S. current gun laws. Recently, a significant number of large international companies cut ties with NRA as a sign of solidarity with the victims and the survivors from the Parkland shooting. The boycott is becoming more prominent since the NRA suggested arming the teachers as a strategy for preventing violence. President Trump, on the contrary, embraced the Rifle Association’s idea.
The Valentine’s Day massacre in Florida is an addition to the horrifying statistics of frequent deadly mass shootings in modern U.S. history. The policy of creating more restrictive laws concerning immigrants are not helping for building a higher level of safety.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, released the results of a survey of Muslim voter households last week. The organization concluded 93% Muslim households would require background checks for all gun sales and for other increased safety reforms to gun laws.
Survey respondents also indicated that they believe public officials would have responded differently to the recent Parkland, Fla., school shooting had the perpetrator been Muslim. “The results of this survey clearly indicate that, like the vast majority of Americans of all faiths and backgrounds, Muslim voters support gun safety reform measures to keep firearms out of the hands of those who would misuse them to harm others,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad.
Muslim and Arab Americans, including Amal Clooney, are making their voices heard in support of immediate gun control laws. They will be joining in large numbers the “March For Our Lives” in DC on March 24, 2018.