Rapid Response: Fighting Back Against Islamophobic Smear Campaign
President Biden nominated Adeel Mangi to be a federal appeals court judge in the Third Circuit.
He would be the first Muslim American to serve on a federal appellate court. Since Mangi was nominated, Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee have insinuated that Mangi is anti-Semitic and sympathizes with terrorists. These Islamophobic tropes have reportedly convinced some Democrats to oppose Mangi, putting his nomination in jeopardy. - Popular Info
How do you mobilize supporters quickly? Explain the issue? Tell them who to call? What to say? How to report the results back to you? And do this all in one minute with one hand? Read on...
Keep it simple
We created this simple graphic with minimal words. And a QR Code created with this free TDRCG app that directs people to the map.
Provide background
Provide the basic info about the issue with links to more information, so people understand what's at stake.
Make it easy for supporters
An interactive map with esri software makes it easy to find your Senator. And one more click dials their office for you. Making it easy improves the response rate.
Tell them what to do
Have a simple script for supporters and other directions on what to do. This script from Popular Info directs people to call their Senators to encourage them to support Adeel Mangi's nomination.
Adeel Mangi is highly qualified
"Mangi's credentials are unimpeachable. He received his legal training at Oxford and Harvard and has spent more than two decades as one of the nation's most successful litigators, specializing in complex corporate matters.
Mangi has also volunteered his time to litigate numerous high-profile civil rights cases, including "some of the most closely watched religious freedom cases of the Trump era, which involved two different Muslim communities denied permission to build mosques." He also "tried a lawsuit in 2020 involving the death of a mentally ill African-American inmate who was alleged to have been killed by white prison guards in a retaliatory beating." Mangi frequently represented cross-faith religious groups on a variety of issues, including "DACA, the border wall, and …LGBTQ+ civil rights." - Popular Info
MAGA Islamophobic smear job
During his confirmation hearing at the Judiciary Committee, Mangi was repeatedly subjected to Islamophobic smears. Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and John Kennedy (R-LA) asked Mangi if he supported Hamas or celebrated 9/11. These claims were distorted further by a right-wing dark money group, the Judicial Crisis Network, which produced ads blasting Mangi and falsely implied that Mangi "blamed America for the September 11 terrorist attacks."
The Anti-Defamation League released a statement condemning the "inappropriate and prejudicial treatment" Mangi received.
The Islamophobic tropes appear to be having the desired impact. On March 14, CNN reported that "[m]ultiple Democratic senators and their staff have privately warned the White House in recent days that there does not appear to be enough votes in the Senate to confirm Adeel Mangi." Popular Information has launched a crowdsourced campaign to encourage people to call their Democratic Senators to support his nomination.
Popular Info - Adeel Mangi Crowdsourced Campaign
TakeAway: Don't let a MAGA Islamophobic smear campaign derail Adeel Mangi's nomination to the Third Circuit. Call your Senator!
Progressive groups can learn more here about how this rapid response campaign was created in a few hours.
Deepak
DemLabs
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Image Credit: ACS Law