​On May 24, 2020, Masjid E Noor, a local mosque serving Northwest Indianapolis Hoosiers since 2013, was attacked by a drive-by shooting. Given that the mosque was following state guidelines to limit the spread of coronavirus, only a few members were gathered in prayer to mark Eid-Ul-Fitr, when bullets penetrated the windows and nearly struck some of the congregants in an act of attempted murder against those inside. Fortunately, there were no casualties. Masjid E Noor leadership reported the attack to the IMPD, and provided them with a surveillance video that captured what appears to be a red sports car from which the shots were fired. 

On Thursday, May 27, 2020, IMAN Associates and Masjid E Noor held a press conference and called on IMPD to investigate a possible hate crime motive for the shooting, to increase patrols directly in front of Masjid E Noor and other local mosques, and called on elected officials to publicly condemn this abhorrent act of violence. You can learn more about the press conference in the IndyStar, the Indy Channel, and Channel 13. Minutes prior to the press conference, CAIR brought national attention to the incident by issuing a press release. 

Muslim Hoosiers have received an outpouring of love and support from other faith communities. Pastor Jerry Zehr with Carmel Christian Church spoke at the press conference in a strong showing of support to the Muslim community. Other faith-based organizations issued statements condemning bigotry and hatred and standing in solidarity with the Muslim community, including the Center of Interfaith Cooperation, the JCRC of Indianapolis, and the Carmel Interfaith Alliance. Also, a number of legislators called for action following the shooting incident, including U.S. Congressman Andre´ Carson, State Rep. Greg Porter, State Rep. Cherrish Pryor and State Senator Greg Taylor. 

IMAN Associates and Masjid E Noor will continue working with the FBI and the IMPD, who are are currently co-investigating the attack. 

​On the heels of the shooting incident at Masjid E Noor, IMAN Associates held "Unsilenced. Giving a Voice to Disenfranchised People of Faith and Color," a virtual Town hall meeting with elected officials on June 3, 2020.

U.S. Congressman Andre´ Carson, State Rep. Cherrish Pryor, State Senator Greg Taylor and Indianapolis Deputy Mayor David Hampton participated in the candid discussion on hate crimes against religious minorities and racial injustice, and took questions from the audience.  Pastor Jerry Zehr with Carmel Christian Church, Rabbi Brett Krichiver with Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation and Imam Shamaas Nyazee with Masjid-E-Noor closed the event with an interfaith prayer. 

Moderated by Rima Shahid, the Executive Director of Women 4 Change Indiana, it was a well-received event, with over 200 attendees joining via Zoom and Facebook live streaming. 

Missed the event? You can watch it on our Facebook page. 

​Senate District 30 is hungry for change and turned out to support Fady Qaddoura's campaign by nearly a 2 to 1 margin against his republican opponent. He is sincerely grateful to everyone who voted for him and supported his campaign. 

Interested to learn about his political priorities?
Join this upcoming event and show your support to the first Muslim American to run for the Indiana State Senate. 

On behalf of IMAN Associates’ board of directors, I want to extend our heartfelt thanks to our doctors, nurses, hospital workers and first responders for their tireless efforts on the frontlines and our sincere prayers for their safety and protection during this global pandemic.  Also, we want to thank Muslim Hoosiers who are staying at home and doing their part in combatting the spread of the Coronavirus. The need to pull together as one community has never been greater, and with Allah’s will, we will weather this storm.
 
In these unprecedented times, we believe Indiana Muslim Advocacy Network's mission is as relevant as ever. The organization is committed to keeping you engaged with politics and strengthening your voter engagement. As a community, we have to keep track of the decisions that elected officials on the federal and local levels make during this pandemic and decide whether we re-elect them or vote them out! With the absentee voting extended to all Hoosiers, we urge each and every community member to practice their civic duty and vote this primary election. You can find your absentee ballot here.
 
While our candidate forums were suspended, we are still eager to help our Muslim voters make informed decisions at the polls in the primary election on June 2. In the coming weeks, we plan to issue a series of Voter Education Guides to shed a light on a number of different races happening in Central Indiana and where the candidates stand on various issues important to Muslim Hoosiers.
 
Also, the organization is keen to empower you with information that will help you navigate the challenges that come with this health and economic crisis. Recently, the federal and state governments enacted a number of laws and issued orders placing a ban on certain evictions and foreclosure procedures. We put together the below advisory in an attempt to answer some of your questions and provide you with some guidance at this challenging time.
 
Finally, without your continued support, IMAN Associates won’t exist! We are grateful for your involvement and we wish you and your family good health. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us, shall you have any questions or concerns.

With many blessings,
Hiba Alami, Executive Director

What is the “Moratorium on Evictions and Foreclosures”? The federal government and state authorities have recently enacted laws and issued orders placing a ban on certain evictions and foreclosure proceedings. The phrase “Moratorium on Evictions and Foreclosures” refers to these laws and orders. Please note that the ban on Evictions and Foreclosures is not universal. Homeowners and tenants must determine whether they qualify for the relief on offer. This Advisory will help you make this determination.
 
Can I be evicted if I am unable to pay my rent during this crisis? The short answer is no. But we will need to dig a bit deeper to answer more detailed and relevant questions. If you rent your home in Indiana there are two sets of laws which will help you answer some of your question:

1. Governor Holcomb’s March 19th, 2020 executive order, bars landlord from initiating any eviction actions until the state emergency has been terminated. As of now, Indiana’s state emergency is set to terminate on May 5th, 2020. It is unclear whether existing eviction actions should be stayed pursuant to this order. However, this question is a matter of interpretation for the courts. The language in this executive order can be interpreted to imply a stay on all existing eviction actions.
2. The federal government under the CARES Act has also placed a bar on all new eviction actions for non-payment of rent, fees or charges. The CARES Act only applies if the subject property has a federally backed mortgage loan or participates in a federal housing program (example: HUD public housing programs) (refer to “How do you know if your loan is federally backed” to learn more). The CARES Act moratorium will last for 120 days starting March 27th, 2020. The CARES Act also requires landlords (if their properties are covered under the CARES Act) to serve a 30-day notice prior to eviction and the notice must be issued after the moratorium has ended. The CARES Act moratorium has significant loop holes as it: (1) does not apply to existing eviction actions; (2) is only limited to evictions which are initiated for non-payment of rent but does not address “no cause” evictions often permissible under lease agreements. It is of importance to note that if your leased property has federally backed mortgage or your landlord participates in a federal housing program there might be broader relief which is available by different federally backed mortgage investors like Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, VA, FHA, etc. (Please refer to “Foreclosure Suspensions by Federally Backed Mortgage Investors in Effect Prior to the CARES Act,” Section for more details).

May 4, 2020 Voter Registration Ends
Register to vote or check your registration here.June 2, 2020 Primary Election Day
To ensure Hoosiers practice their civic duty and vote in the primary election, Governor Holcomb moves it to June 2, and the Indiana Election Commission expands vote-by-mail options. All registered and qualified Indiana voters are provided the opportunity to vote no-excuse absentee by mail.
Get your absentee ballot here.

The 2020 Indiana General Assembly is heading into the final stretch. Although state law requires the legislative session to end no later than Saturday, March 14, legislators are expected to wrap up their work and head back to their districts by March 11.

This week will see a flurry of activity at the Statehouse. Monday (March 2) was the final day for floor amendments, and Tuesday is the last day for bills to pass from the second chamber. After that, House-Senate conference committees will get underway, as legislators work to reconcile differing versions of the same bill passed by the House and the Senate. 

Because 2020 is not a budget year, state lawmakers have steered clear this session of proposals that require state funding. Instead, much of the activity has focused on proposals aimed at increasing transparency in health care pricing and protecting patients from unexpected medical bills.  With the end of session fast approaching, however, lawmakers and stakeholders remain deeply divided on the details.

Lawmakers are also split on two recent proposals that take aim at efforts in Indianapolis to increase access to mass transit and provide protections to renters. HB 1279, a bill addressing transportation planning in northwest Indiana, was amended on the floor by Sen. Aaron Freeman with language to enforce a provision in the Central Indiana mass transportation law that requires IndyGo to establish a nonprofit to raise matching funds for the expansion. Under the amendment, 10% of the local income tax for public transit would be withheld from IndyGo starting on July 1, 2020 unless at least 10% of the annual operating expenses are paid from sources other than taxes and fares. The loss in funding would severely limit IndyGo’s plans for the blue and purple lines and related infrastructure improvements.

Under an amendment to a different bill, local ordinances providing protections to renters would be pre-empted by a new, less strict state law pushed by the Indiana Apartment Association. At this point, it’s unclear whether either amendment will make it through to final passage.

Although unexpected amendments can crop in conference committee reports, it appears that the 2020 General Assembly will adjourn without taking any action on redistricting reform, civil rights, or protections for immigrants. Further, a bipartisan bill that would have established a program to incentivize investment in affordable and workforce housing projects died without a hearing in the second chamber. However, because SB 123 passed the Senate earlier this session, its provisions are eligible for inclusion in a conference committee report on a related bill.

To view a brief summary of the bills that have been on IMAN Associates' radar this session, please check out the website. With the exception of SB 123, all of the bills died without a hearing in the first chamber.

On the heels of the Islamophobic rhetoric that surfaced on the facebook page of Kokomo City Councilor, IMAN Associates Executive Director, Hiba Alami, joined a meeting that brought together the Islamic Association of Kokomo (IAK) leadership with Kokomo Mayor Tylor Moore on February 25, 2020 at the IAK. 
The meeting focused on exploring different initiatives that IMAN Associates could foster to help building bridges between the Kokomo Muslim community and elected officials. Such initiatives will help provide visibility for Kokomo Muslims in the local political arena, denounce misconceptions about Islam and strengthen the political engagement of the Kokomo Muslim community. 

IMAN Associates renews its commitment to serve as the liaison between the Indiana Muslim community and elected officials to bring positive political changes to the state of Indiana. 

With great pleasure and excitement, IMAN Associates announces that Dr. Fady Qaddoura won his pre-primary elections on Saturday 2/8/2020 and has been officially nominated by the Democratic Party as the party's nominee for the Indiana State Senate in the 2020 election. When elected, he will be the first Muslim American to serve in the Indiana State Senate!

​He is not only a public servant and a consensus builder, but he is also an immigrant and a Muslim American. He will bring the very much needed diversity to the Indiana legislature and will strive to give the voiceless a voice.

Although his campaign has gained a great momentum, his district is split 50-50, and he will face a very tight race. We need YOU to help us win this race by getting our message out. Every dollar you donate goes a long way in getting our message out regarding our universal values of justice, equality, compassion, mercy and fairness. 

Please attend the upcoming fundraiser event and show your support. It is a free event but registration is required. RSVP below!

Can't attend the fundraiser? You can still support his campaign by donating online. Please donate generously. 

From our lobbyist's desk:
The 2020 Indiana General Assembly has wrapped up the first half of the short session. Monday (February 3) was the last day for House bills to pass from the House, and Tuesday (February 4) was the deadline for passage of Senate bills from the Senate. When legislators return to Statehouse on February 10, hearings will begin in the House and Senate on bills passed by the other chamber.

Of the 910 bills introduced this year, 288 are still alive. An additional 60 or 70 bills will likely die before session ends. Most of the casualties will result from the abbreviated schedule – with only three weeks to hear bills passed by the other chamber, committees won’t have time to consider every bill assigned to them.
 
Among the casualties are five bills addressing next year’s redistricting process. On the House side, Rep. Jerry Torr introduced the sole redistricting bill.  HB 1024, which would have established a bipartisan redistricting commission, died without receiving a hearing. In the Senate, Sen. John Ruckleshaus introduced two different measures: SB 105, which would have established a redistricting commission, and SB 293, which would have established procedures for the redistricting process. Although both measures had Republican as well as Democrat co-authors, neither was granted a hearing.  Two additional redistricting bills also died in the Senate for lack of a hearing: SB 87, authored by Sen. Greg Taylor (redistricting standards), and SB 138 (authored by Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane (redistricting commission). Although it is possible that redistricting provisions could be inserted in another bill before the end of session, at this point redistricting reform appears dead for the year.
 
One bill on IMAN Associates’ tracking list that is moving forward is SB 123, which passed the Senate 48-1 and is authored by Sen. Travis Holdman. The proposed legislation would allow the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority to establish a program to incentivize investment in affordable and workforce housing projects in Indiana. The program would not go into effect until July 1, 2021. In the meantime, IHCDA would be required to provide a report this summer to the Interim Study Committee on Fiscal Policy concerning the affordable and workforce housing incentives offered in other states and recommending the type of incentive that should be offered in Indiana. Based on IHCDA’s findings, the 2021 legislature could then adopt a tax credit or other mechanism aimed at increasing the supply of affordable and workforce housing.

For brief summaries of the bills discussed above, along with other proposed legislation of potential interest to IMAN Associates, please visit our website.

We are nearing "Crossover". For those who are new to the legislative process, a bill must be passed out of its chamber (House/Senate) of origin by Crossover to continue on its way. If it does not, the bill is dead. This means, a House bill (labeled HB) must be out of the House by that time; same with Senate bills (labeled as SB). Some committees wrapped up their hearings last week while some still have some final hearings this week along followed by final floor debate before the first half of this year’s session ends.

Due to the tight hearing schedules of this short session, we anticipate many bills to die on the House and Senate floors. ​

January 6, 2020 marks the first day of the legislative session. Starting that week, we will issue our newsletter on a weekly basis to make sure our constituents are fully apprised of the latest updates at the Indiana General Assembly. So be on the lookout for those weekly issues and follow us on social media to stay informed! ​

Out of the organization’s commitment to building bridges between Indiana Muslims and elected officials, IMAN Associates arranged for Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness and Fishers City Council President Richard Block to visit Alhuda mosque on October 25, 2019.  
In his brief address, Mayor Fadness expressed his gratitude for the invitation and underscored his dedication to growing Fishers as a diverse, welcoming city to all. Alhuda community members took this opportunity to meet and greet the Mayor and City Council President and engage in conversations with them about the bright future of their thriving city. 

Alhuda Foundation President, Dr. Arman Siddiqui, presents Mayor Fadness with a token of appreciation for his leadership. 

You still have time to vote early for the 2019 Indiana Municipal election. Here are the locations and times of the early voting sites in the counties where our members reside in: 
Allen County 
Boone County 
Hamilton County 
Hendricks County 
Johnson County 
Lake County 
Marion County 
Tippecanoe County 
Election Day is Tuesday, November 5, 2019. You can find your polling location and voting times here.  
IMAN Associates strongly urges Muslim Hoosiers to go out and vote for two reasons
1) Historically, municipal elections witness a low voter turnout, and 2019 election is no exception. Hence, your vote counts and can move the needle and make a difference.  
2) When elected, candidates on the ballots will shape our cities and touch our lives with the policies they create. When you vote, you choose who represents you and creates these policies. 

Given that full-time Islamic schools in the state of Indiana rely, at least in part, on the voucher program, IMAN Associates ran an assessment of the current status and the future of the voucher program in the foreseeable future, and shared it with 9 full-time Islamic schools operating in Indianapolis, Fishers, Plainfield, Bloomington, Fort Wayne and Crown Point.  
To read the findings, please follow this link.