In the days and weeks following 9/11, anti-Muslim sentiment sky-rocketed, innocent lives were lost and destroyed, American Muslims and those who incorrectly perceived to be Muslim, including Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, and others were attacked at the hands of hate. Since 2015, World Without Hate’s Founder, Rais Bhuiyan, has been working tirelessly on with Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (Retired, TX 30) proposing a Congressional Resolution recognizing hate crime victims and survivors of 9/11. On September 09, 2015, H. Resolution 413 and on September 21, 2021, H. Resolution 662 was introduced to Congress and then moved to review by the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees.
Rais visited the Capitol multiple times in 2021 and 2022, meeting with members of Congress and their legislative staff to gain support for the resolution. Last week, World Without Hate, partnering with MPAC and Congresswoman Johnson’s office, held a briefing on Capitol Hill urging elected officials to pass H. Res. 662 recognizing American Sikhs, Hindus, Christian Arabs, Muslims, and other Americans attacked and killed immediately after 9/11.
The briefing included testimony from Durreshehwar Aslam, the widow of Waqar Hasan, the first hate crime victim of 9/11, Rais Bhuiyan, and Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush.