WCAPS Report: Amplifying SWANA Women and Girl's Voices: Survey Results and Analysis by Women of Color Advancing Peace & Security

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h Af ica W king G

Am lif ing SWANA W men S e Re l Anal i Jan a

Gi l V ice

W men f C l Ad ancing Peace Sec C nflic T an f ma i n

WOMEN OF COLOR ADVANCING PEACE, SECURITY AND CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION

Southwest Asia & North Africa Working Group

Amplifying SWANA Women & Girls' Voices: Survey Results & Analysis January 2021

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Southwest Asia & North Africa Working Group, Amplifying SWANA Women & Girls' Voices: Survey Results & Analysis

Thank you to Ambassador Bonnie D. Jenkins, our WCAPS Founder and Executive Director, the SWANA Working Group, and our SWANA Leadership Team, including Kristina Biyad, Neda Shaheen, Rachel Boveja, and Layla Abi-Falah

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Southwest Asia & North Africa Working Group, Amplifying SWANA Women & Girls' Voices: Survey Results & Analysis

INTRODUCTION The Long-Term Effects of the Muslim Ban on Women & Girls Authors: Neda M. Shaheen, Esq. & Layla Abi-Falah, J.D. Editors: Dr. Rachel Boveja & Kristina Biyad, MA On January 27, 2017, merely six days following his inauguration, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order No. 13769, titled Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry, and banned the entry of persons from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the United States.1 Because the order banned persons from Muslim majority countries and built on anti-Muslim rhetoric, it became known as the “Muslim Ban,” as well as the “Arab Ban,” “Refugee Ban,” or “Travel Ban.” Though President Joe Biden declared that he will overturn the ban, its impacts on the global community, particularly on women and girls of color, will last for years. The Trump Administration justified the Muslim Ban as a national security strategy, though it merely became the first example of Trump’s commitment to a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.”2 The language in the Executive Order that created the Muslim Ban revealed deep-seeded negative stereotypes that were used under a guise of security to justify discriminatory policies. For example, the Executive Order explained that “the United States must ensure that those admitted to this country do not bear hostile attitudes toward it and its founding principles,” and declared that this would include “those who engage in acts of bigotry or hatred (including ‘honor’ killings, other forms of violence against women, or the persecution of those who practice religions different from their own).”3 Such a reference to honor killings is a negative stereotype commonly used against the Muslim community, though there is no basis for such acts in the religion itself.4

The Muslim & African Bans: By the Numbers, BRIDGE INITIATIVE (June 23, 2020), https://bridge.georgetown.edu/research/the-muslim-and-african-bans-by-the-numbers/; Abigail Hauslohner, Undoing Trump’s ‘muslim Ban’ Could Take Minutes, But Results Could Take Months Or Years, WASH. POST (December 2, 2020), https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/12/02/biden-trump-muslim-travel-ban/; Trump v. Hawaii, OYEZ, https://www.oyez.org/cases/2017/17-965. 2 Jenna Johnson, Trump Calls For ‘Total and Complete Shutdown of Muslims Entering The United States’, WASH. POST (December 7, 2015), https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/12/07/donald-trump-calls-fortotal-and-complete-shutdown-of-muslims-entering-the-united-states/. 3 Exec. Order No. 13,769, 82 Fed. Reg. at 8979 4 Karma Orfaly, Examining Trump v. Hawaii: Moving Forward in Light of the Supreme Court’s Adverse Holding on the Muslim Ban, 12 Geo. K. L. & Mod. Critical Race Persp. 41, 26 (2020)

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Southwest Asia & North Africa Working Group, Amplifying SWANA Women & Girls' Voices: Survey Results & Analysis

However, the impact of the Muslim Ban went far beyond travel and immigrant restrictions. The religious, racial and ethnic animus was mirrored across the United States, as the Trump Administration hateful rhetoric was echoed by supporters, illustrated by the rise of religiously motivated hate crimes including heightened harassment and violence of the American Muslim community. In fact, hate crimes against Muslim Americans increased by 15% in 2017, after the Muslim Ban took effect.5 Muslim women and girls felt the harmful, discriminatory, and even violent effects of the ban the greatest due to their double vulnerability as both women and members of a religious minority in the United States. A study by Columbia University suggested that the stress associated with the travel ban increased preterm births for women originally from those seven countries, reflecting the detrimental health effects of structurally racist and xenophobic policies on women.6 The anti-immigrant discourse fostered a fear of discrimination in the U.S. healthcare system, leading to delays and decreased prenatal care and visits, which heightened the likelihood of adverse health outcomes.7 In the height of a global pandemic, these discriminatory policies only exacerbate existing discrepancies in the healthcare system. Women and girls abroad also faced incredible difficulties due to the effects of the ban. Elderly women from the countries affected by the ban with children living in the United States were faced with the uncertainty of reconnecting with their loved ones or fear of survival without their financial, emotional, or moral support.8 Grassroots women’s groups, advisors, and human rights activists across the region--from Syria, Iran, Somalia, to Libya-voiced concerns that the ban would have a significant impact on women’s rights activists in the regime by limiting their movement and participation in international spaces, effectively erecting a wall between women in the region and the rest of the world.9 Additionally, women fleeing severe, imminent violence in the countries affected by the

US anti-hate crimes rose 15 percent in 2017: advocacy group, REUTERS (April 13, 2018), https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-islam-hatecrime/u-s-anti-muslim-hate-crimes-rose-15-percent-in-2017advocacy-group-idUSKBN1HU240 6 Abigail Higgins, Trump’s ‘Muslim ban’ policy had real consequences on birth outcomes, a new study shows, THE LILY, (December 9, 2020), https://www.thelily.com/trumps-muslim-ban-policy-had-real-consequences-on-birth-outcomes-anew-study-shows/; Rowaida Abdelaziz, Women From Travel Ban Countries More Likely To Give Birth Prematurely: Study, HUFFPOST (December 4, 2020), https://www.huffpost.com/entry/women-from-travel-ban-countries-morelikely-have-premature-birth-study-finds_n_5fca7567c5b619bc4c32c15e. 7 Abigail Higgins, Trump’s ‘Muslim ban’ policy had real consequences on birth outcomes, a new study shows, THE LILY, (December 9, 2020), https://www.thelily.com/trumps-muslim-ban-policy-had-real-consequences-on-birth-outcomes-anew-study-shows/; Rowaida Abdelaziz, Women From Travel Ban Countries More Likely To Give Birth Prematurely: Study, HUFFPOST (December 4, 2020), https://www.huffpost.com/entry/women-from-travel-ban-countries-morelikely-have-premature-birth-study-finds_n_5fca7567c5b619bc4c32c15e. 8 How Trump’s ‘Travel Ban’ Impacts Women’s Groups and Activists in the Middle East, GLOBAL FUND FOR WOMEN, (March 15, 2017), https://www.globalfundforwomen.org/travel-ban/. 9 How Trump’s ‘Travel Ban’ Impacts Women’s Groups and Activists in the Middle East, GLOBAL FUND FOR WOMEN, (March 15, 2017), https://www.globalfundforwomen.org/travel-ban/.

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Southwest Asia & North Africa Working Group, Amplifying SWANA Women & Girls' Voices: Survey Results & Analysis

bans were denied safety and refuge, in some cases losing years of patience awaiting lifesaving visas to the United States in the blink of an eye.10 Ultimately however, the continued exclusion of Muslim women from the political and social realm has ensured the absence of any study as to the comprehensive effects of the ban on Muslim women, thus ignoring the reality of their intersectional vulnerability as religious and gender minorities, as well as often ethnic and racial minorities. The ban’s adverse effects on women ripple outwards to their entire communities and foster severe consequences for generations to come. In the midst of this lack of information on the ban’s effect on women economically, socially, mentally, and politically, Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation’s Southwest Asia & North Africa Working Group (SWANA) seeks to fill the gap. The Trump Administration’s anti-immigrant policies, like the Muslim Ban, made it extremely difficult for legal entry to the United States.11 In the first week of the Muslim Ban, nearly 60,000 to 100,000 visas were revoked from visa applicants seeking to leave conflict, persecution, and severe human rights abuses.12 The Muslin Ban indefinitely separated families, disrupted both educational and academic pursuits, kept individuals from life-saving medical treatment, harmed the global economy, and stigmatized migrants.13 Additionally, the Muslim Ban indefinitely prohibited Syrian nationals as refugees because their entry was deemed, “detrimental to the interests of the United States.”14 After the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a Temporary Restraining Order, President Trump revoked Order 13769 and issued Executive Order No. 13780, “Muslim Ban 2.0,” banning entry of persons from six of the seven countries designated in the original order, except for Iraq.15 The ban was withdrawn and replaced several times until Trump v. Hawaii, where the U.S. Supreme Court held in a 5-4 split that Presidential Proclamation

Sam Fulwood III, The Real Effect of Trump’s Muslim Ban, AMERICAN PROGRESS (Feb. 9, 2017), https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/news/2017/02/09/414802/the-real-effect-of-trumps-muslim-ban/. 11 Faiza Patel, Deference to Discrimination: Immigration and National Security in the Trump Era, 45 Hum. Rts. 2, 4 (2020) 12 Mica Rosenberg & Lesley Wroughton, Trump's Travel Ban has Revoked 60,000 Visas for Now, REUTERS (February 3, 2017), https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-visas/trumps-travel-ban-has-revoked-60000-visas-fornow-idUSKBN15I2EW. 13 Manar Waheed, The Effects of the Muslim Ban One Year Later, ACLU (December 4, 2018), https://www.aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/effects-muslim-ban-one-year-later; The Muslim Ban: Discriminatory Impacts and Lack of Accountability Suggested Questions - Submission for Upcoming Review of U.S. Compliance with the ICCPR, CENTER FOR CONSTIUTIONAL RIGHTS (January 14, 2019), https://ccrjustice.org/home/getinvolved/tools-resources/publications/muslim-ban-discriminatory-impacts-and-lack. 14 Exec. Order No. 13,769, 82 Fed. Reg. at 8979. 15 Trump v. Hawaii, OYEZ, https://www.oyez.org/cases/2017/17-965; Understanding the Muslim Bans, SOUTH ASIAN AMERICANS LEADING TOGETHER (December 5, 2017), https://saalt.org/15554-2/.

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Southwest Asia & North Africa Working Group, Amplifying SWANA Women & Girls' Voices: Survey Results & Analysis

9645, “Muslim Ban 3.0,” could remain in effect.16 In Hawaii, the Court held that Muslim Ban 3.0 “set forth a sufficient national security justification to survive rational basis review.”17 Only hours later, the Trump Administration announced Muslim Ban 4.0, effectively impacting 13 countries: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Venezuela, North Korea, Nigeria, Myanmar, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Sudan and Tanzania.18 With the addition of six African countries, Muslim Ban 4.0 became an “Africa Ban,” furthering a discriminatory agenda. The Supreme Court’s majority gave credit to the Muslim Ban’s waiver process, reasoning that waivers could be given on a case-by-case basis.19 However, the reality is that the Muslim Ban waiver process only projects an illusion of fairness. In the first three months of the Muslim Ban, the government issued only two waivers.20 In the dissent, Justice Breyer argued that the waiver system was not being appropriately applied and asked, “How could the Government successfully claim that the Proclamation rests on security needs if it is excluding Muslims who satisfy the Proclamation's own terms?”21 She went on to explain that “denying visas to Muslims who meet the Proclamation's own security terms would support the view that the Government excludes them for reasons based upon their religion.”22 In the first eleven months of the Muslim Ban, only 6% of waivers were granted to visa applicants from the countries impacted.23 Between December 2017 and April 2020, 74% of waivers were declined.24 From 2016 to 2019, the decrease in the percentage of immigrant visas can be broken down as follows: 79% decrease from Iran; 50% decrease from Iraq; 30% decrease from Libya; 74% decrease from Somalia; 16% decrease from Sudan; 64% decrease from Syria; 66% decrease from Yemen.25 The waiver process is 16

Trump v. Hawaii, 138 S. Ct. 2392 (2018). Trump v. Hawaii, 138 S. Ct. 2392, 2423 (2018). 18 White House, Proclamation on Improving Enhanced Vetting Capabilities and Processes for Detecting Attempted Entry (January 31, 2020) 19 Trump v. Hawaii, 138 S. Ct. 2392, 2400 (2018). 20 Manar Waheed, The Effects of the Muslim Ban One Year Later, ACLU (December 4, 2018), https://www.aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/effects-muslim-ban-one-year-later; The Muslim Ban: Discriminatory Impacts and Lack of Accountability Suggested Questions - Submission for Upcoming Review of U.S. Compliance with the ICCPR, CENTER FOR CONSTIUTIONAL RIGHTS (January 14, 2019), https://ccrjustice.org/home/getinvolved/tools-resources/publications/muslim-ban-discriminatory-impacts-and-lack; William Roberts, Muslim Americans Testify on Effects of Trump’s Travel Ban, AL JAZEERA (September 24, 2019), https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/9/24/muslim-americans-testify-on-effects-of-trumps-travel-ban. 21 Trump v. Hawaii, 138 S. Ct. 2392, 2430 (2018). 22 Trump v. Hawaii, 138 S. Ct. 2392, 2430 (2018) 23 Yeganeh Torbati, Exclusive: Only 6 percent of those subject to Trump travel ban granted U.S. waivers, Reuters (April 4, 2019), https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-visas-exclusive/exclusive-only-6-percent-of-thosesubject-to-trump-travel-ban-granted-u-s-waivers-idUSKCN1RG30X 24 The Muslim & African Bans: By the Numbers, BRIDGE INITIATIVE (June 23, 2020), https://bridge.georgetown.edu/research/the-muslim-and-african-bans-by-the-numbers/. 25 The Muslim & African Bans: By the Numbers, BRIDGE INITIATIVE (June 23, 2020), https://bridge.georgetown.edu/research/the-muslim-and-african-bans-by-the-numbers/. 17

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Southwest Asia & North Africa Working Group, Amplifying SWANA Women & Girls' Voices: Survey Results & Analysis

known to be “shrouded in secrecy,” as there is little information on the standards and procedures needed to qualify.26 In September 2019, nearly three years following the issuance of the original ban, Muslim Americans were finally given the opportunity to testify before a joint hearing of the House Judiciary and Oversight subcommittees on the effects of the ban on their families, communities, and selves. Yemeni American, Ismail Alghazali, testified that the Muslim Ban had left his Yemeni wife and two small children stuck in war-torn Yemen; his wife was denied a waiver after being granted only a five-minute meeting with a U.S. consular officer.27 Farhana Khera, President and Executive Director of Muslim Advocates, shared a number of similar stories from Muslim Americans impacted by the ban: Khadija Aden, a permanent U.S. resident of Somali origin, expected her son to be issued a family-based visa, but she was left devastated in 2018 when she learned her son’s visa had been denied. Neither Khadija nor her son were told they could apply for a waiver. U.S. citizen Khalil Ali Nagi expected that he and his four-year-old daughter would be reunited with her Yemeni mother after his family-based petition was approved in October 2017. In March 2018, her visa was denied, leaving their daughter “emotionally traumatized,” noting that “she constantly cries for her mother.”28 The hearing overlapped with the introduction of legislation known as the No Ban Act which would impose limits on the president’s ability to restrict entry into the U.S. of foreigners. President-Elect Joe Biden has pledged that on January 20, 2020, he will eliminate the Muslim Ban and “urge Congress to pass the No Ban Act to ensure future administrations cannot restore Trump’s ban.”29 In light of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to overturn the ban, the WCAPS Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) Working Group sought to understand how community members believed the Muslim Ban impacted SWANA communities, particularly showcasing the overlooked and often ignored impacts on women and girls of color. We aim to raise awareness and educate the larger community on the ban and its impact while also filling the gap regarding the lack of information on the bans’ effects on the most vulnerable sub-sect of the Muslim community.

Yeganeh Torbati, Exclusive: Only 6 percent of those subject to Trump travel ban granted U.S. waivers, Reuters (April 4, 2019), https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-visas-exclusive/exclusive-only-6-percent-of-thosesubject-to-trump-travel-ban-granted-u-s-waivers-idUSKCN1RG30X 27 William Roberts, Muslim Americans Testify on Effects of Trump’s Travel Ban, AL JAZEERA (September 24, 2019), https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/9/24/muslim-americans-testify-on-effects-of-trumps-travel-ban. 28 STATEMENT OF FARHANA KHERA, PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MUSLIM ADVOCATES (SEPTEMBER 2019), accessed at: https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU01/20190924/109976/HHRG-116-JU01-Wstate-KheraF20190924.pdf. 29 Joe Biden’s Agenda for Muslim-American Communities, BIDEN HARRIS, https://joebiden.com/muslimamerica/.

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Southwest Asia & North Africa Working Group, Amplifying SWANA Women & Girls' Voices: Survey Results & Analysis

While often ignored and excluded from these discussions, SWANA aims to amplify Muslim women and girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; voices, such that the hate and suffering they faced is not prolonged another day and the Muslim Ban is quickly overturned. This goal is in line with SWANAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission to promote the voices and advance the professional development of women of color in the SWANA region, commonly called the Middle East, in the fields of international peace, security, and conflict transformation. In seeking to gather such information, SWANA drafted and published a 12-question survey on December 16, 2020, collecting 49 responses by January 10, 2021. These responses represent the stories and experiences of SWANA and Muslim women impacted by the ban in their own words. We publish them in hopes that the Biden Administration responds by repealing the ban on his first day in office.

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Southwest Asia & North Africa Working Group, Amplifying SWANA Women & Girls' Voices: Survey Results & Analysis

Amplifying SWANA Women & Girls' Voices: Survey Results & Analysis 9% of participants ranked the Muslim Ban at the top of their list of priorities for the first 100 days, 7% ranked it as second, another 7% as their third priority, and 10% ranked it as their fourth priority. 16% of participants ranked it as their fifth priority.

We found there is no significant association between families originating from the Muslim Ban country list and those supporting the Muslim Ban repeal on their list of priorities for the first 100 days.

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Southwest Asia & North Africa Working Group, Amplifying SWANA Women & Girls' Voices: Survey Results & Analysis

We found that 98% of participants think that the Muslim Ban has heightened discrimination against SWANA women and girls in the United States.

A large number of participants, 57.1%, were not familiar with H.R 2214, the No Ban Act. 26.5% were familiar and 16.3% were not sure if they had heard about this legislation.

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Southwest Asia & North Africa Working Group, Amplifying SWANA Women & Girls' Voices: Survey Results & Analysis

Survey contributors, in their own words, spoke out in response to questions posed by WCAPS SWANA Working Group. Excerpts from such responses are anonymously shared below:

What does being "banned" mean to you, your community or your family? It creates a false narrative that those who originate or whose families originate from countries named in the ban are not American, do not belong in America, and are not wanted in America. Being banned is being rejected and kept out of the American community which is against the supposed values this nation was built on. Thus, not only is it a violation of human rights, refugee rights, immigrant rights but also a violation of the original American values. Being on a banned country list further emphasizes the otherization that I have always felt in the United States. The ban legally separates my family through cruel means that declares them terrorists based on stereotypes, xenophobia, and bigotry. My mother has not seen her siblings in several years, though they text, facetime and call every day. Additionally, my grandmother is old and unable to travel, especially under COVID19, and she may never see her children in one place again. To me, being banned reduces the dignity of each individual impacted and also ensures that my family will always be separated. It is formalized racism and discrimination that has complicated visa processes for friends of mine and discouraged others from considering traveling to the US. It means excluded and actively kept away. it is the system trying to say people are illegal. It is the breaking of families and a reminder that people of color are still not valued in this country, The ban is a message to an entire population, a religious minority in the United States that I belong to, that we are not welcome, accepted or respected in our own country. We have been yearning for a sense of belonging. It's an act of discrimination based on unfounded and racially motivated intentions and it's hurtful on a personal level to be labeled as a threat to others It completely disrupted our lives and isolated me and my family members. The ban for me was another way for Trump and friends to say sh*thole countries, but make it legal. To be banned was another way of saying we want your culture, your advancements, your technology, etc. but not you. It was a reminder of the ways that

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Southwest Asia & North Africa Working Group, Amplifying SWANA Women & Girls' Voices: Survey Results & Analysis

BIPOC have been erased from the mainstream and the stupidity of the systems that are in place to keep us segregated. It is the reinforcement of the idea that western European white is right and everything else is deviant. It did not impact my family or me personally, however, I saw how it prevented Philip. C Jessup Moot Court Teams from reaching D.C. after earning the right to compete at the international rounds. As a former Jessuper, who benefited from having the opportunity to attend the international rounds, I felt for those individuals who were denied the opportunity I had just because of their nationality and the discriminatory approach of the Trump administration. This heavily impacts refugees and asylum seekers, as well as families trying to see loved ones, seek medical attention, education, and a better life. The policy was damaging and caused harm to Muslims, Africans, and immigrants in particular. The travel ban was just one of many racist policies during the Trump administration that contributed to an overall environment in which hate crimes and bias spiked. It means our identity & ethnicity is suspect. It's islamophobic in its essence, especially since the US wages wars abroad and creates refugees and then bans them from a chance at safety. It's inhumane, it must be abolished. Lack of equitable access; inability to see family members who usually come to the US for medicine that they pay for out of pocket. Banned signals some sort of criminality. It reminds me of being persona non grata, which implies someone did something so heinous that they deserved to be banned or kicked out. I believe it’s meant to have a hint of criminality to lend legitimacy to the policy/law. We are outsiders and not welcomed. To me it translates as “not welcome” and “unwanted.” Everyone should be welcome here since we are a nation of immigrants. It means that your family is ripped apart, if you are married to a "banned" person you may not be able to live together. You may not be able to travel to see your family because to enter the "banned" country you need a country-of-origin passport (i.e. you can't use your American passport) and your family cannot get a visa to come to the US. Being "banned" has also affected numerous businesses, import & export schemes that are relied upon heavily in many countries. Needless to say, it has hurt my community and increased issues for many banned and non-banned Muslim or SWANA people traveling internationally.

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Southwest Asia & North Africa Working Group, Amplifying SWANA Women & Girls' Voices: Survey Results & Analysis

How have you been impacted by the Muslim Ban? As Druze American, a lack of knowledge on this minority religion around the world means I can be mistaken as a Muslim woman. Thus, I understand that in recognizing that reality, I cannot separate such a racist, hateful attack on the Muslim community as an attack against all of us from the SWANA region. Because of the Muslim Ban, my family can never visit or come to the United States, and I cannot travel abroad to visit them. The ban means missed birthdays, baptisms, graduations, weddings, and other events that make life worth living with those you love. It impacts me every day that I am separated from those who mean most. My partner had trouble entering the US because he holds a Nigerian passport and was forced to disclose so on a form when he was applying for a visa with his British Passport. When I first heard the words “Muslim ban,” I cried. I was shocked that it was even possible for a presidential candidate to suggest that an entire religious population, which exists within the US, should just be banned. After Trump took office, this was of course rebranded to guide US immigration policy targeting specific countries, but we had all heard the intent behind it loud and clear. The ban had to be confined to a list, even though it wasn’t intended to be. I cannot imagine the consequences this generated for Americans originally from those countries on the list - particularly those of us who are first generation and have family in our countries of origin. The ban is a racist policy, and while it hid under the veil of a national security justification, I hope we never forget that it was branded a “Muslim ban” by the candidate who ultimately became our president but could never represent us all. Being Syrian, we’re not granted visas to many countries and the US was the only place where my mother and brother and I can meet. Since the ban I only see my mother once a year whenever we’re able to obtain a visa somewhere and she hasn’t seen my brother in almost two years. Family and friends have not been able to visit and start jobs in the US, increasing discrimination in the public space. I am Muslim, so the ban impacted my sense of belonging in the US. It also caused me to fear that Pakistan (from where my family originates) would be banned as well. Not directly, but personally, many of my friends from the countries that were listed were impacted whether they were stateside or not and that was on an emotional/mental level, but also their future plans.

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Southwest Asia & North Africa Working Group, Amplifying SWANA Women & Girls' Voices: Survey Results & Analysis

My family does not have origins from the SWANA region. My family is from the Caribbean but given my physical appearance, I have been targeted and detained often, both in the United States and while traveling with my former employer, the United Nations (with a diplomatic passport) and an American passport at American and foreign customs and border posts. This began when I was 16 years old and has continued to the present. I was even profiled and detained while traveling from my previous job in Mali via Paris to the US even though it is not on the list. I suspect my work and potential travel to Sudan and Myanmar or Tanzania may also raise suspicions this year. I am also not sure why Sudan is still on the Muslim Ban list if it has been removed from the Terror Watch list. I have not been impacted directly, but seeing my country treat people of other nations as people we don't want here is disgusting. I'm embarrassed at how obviously racist the Muslim Ban is. The US needs to do better. Given the color of my skin and my name, people assume I am from one of the banned countries. It impacted my ability to travel for work. I had a huge fear that they would detain US citizens, which they did. So it made me stop traveling for quite some time even though I am a US citizen. Because of my work, I have traveled to many of the places in the ban, and I was afraid of being detained. Yes. Several family members couldn’t visit from Eritrea nor could we easily travel there to see family. I run a nonprofit organization that serves the South Asian community in Southern California, including many Muslim Americans. When the ban was first initiated, many South Asians were fearful of traveling to see their families, even if no South Asian countries were listed in the ban. My family & community are heavily impacted by the Ban. (Check stories like: Shaima & her dying son Abdullah, who is Yemeni and who fled the war to reunite with her family) I haven’t been directly impacted, especially with COVID-19; however, it sets an extremely dangerous precedent for “banning” people from other countries and stigmatizing Americans with family abroad and foreign heritage (like myself). I haven’t seen my father and family for almost 5 years. I have been married to an American for 11 years and I was only given a 2-year probation green card after 2 years waiting. Indirectly. If the ban legally circumnavigates “strict scrutiny” then, as a BIPOC women, I am not legally protected against racial discrimination.

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Southwest Asia & North Africa Working Group, Amplifying SWANA Women & Girls' Voices: Survey Results & Analysis

In 2018/2019, I was heavily screened, and my baggage was searched in at least three instances while traveling internationally. My last name is Osama and is printed on my passport. One instance even included a Portuguese flight attendant commenting that, "it must be interesting traveling with a name like that." I also think that the Muslim Ban encouraged some MENA countries to de facto discriminate and heavily scrutinize Syrian citizens. When I traveled to Jordan in 11/2019, I was heavily screened by Jordanian immigration, despite traveling in with a US passport and buying a visa. They were screaming at me because I would not disclose my origins and they kept asking me if I was Syrian.

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Southwest Asia & North Africa Working Group, Amplifying SWANA Women & Girls' Voices: Survey Results & Analysis

In what other way(s) do you think the Muslim Ban has impacted SWANA women and girls in the United States and abroad? Greater Islamophobia has made Muslim women and girls a target in the United States, whether it is acts of discrimination, such as having someone pull off scarfs of women in hijab or telling them to "go back where they came from." This discrimination has far reaching effects on women and girls' health, wellbeing, and participation in US society. The heightened Islamophobia, xenophobia, bigotry and discrimination against broad communities impacted by this ban falls especially hard on women and girls, who already face gender, racial and ethnic barriers to exist in the United States and abroad, and are already subjected to fears of violence. For women in hijab, the heightened risk of violence is especially terrifying. I think the Muslim Ban has perpetuated a system of fear for SWANA women that holds us back in every aspect of public life. While there is hope in the mobilization of allies against the Muslim ban, Trump supporters have doubled down on their discrimination and negative views towards Muslims. I have friends and family members that continue to face discrimination for wearing the hijab or otherwise identifying as Muslim. The general insecurity of knowing that half the population of the country you live in supports someone who actively vilifies your community and heritage. It impacts Muslims and non-Muslims beyond SWANA. I recall the hate crimes that spiked against Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim about 4 years ago. By portraying an image of a public threat that hurts on a personal and professional level especially for those living in conservative communities The ban has further stigmatized citizens of the banned countries. As a Syrian it was always difficult to travel but after the ban, we were more discriminated against. Other countries used the ban as an excuse to ban people from the same countries from entering their own. The UAE used the ban to create their own ban with the same countries and added some more. It gives people who hate legitimacy and makes them feel like their hatred can be expressed with little to no repercussions. We see it time and again, like with the labeling of COVID-19 the 'China virus' and the increased attacks on the Asian populations around the world.

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Southwest Asia & North Africa Working Group, Amplifying SWANA Women & Girls' Voices: Survey Results & Analysis

It made bigotry acceptable. It gave Islamophobes another reason for justifying their hatred as it enforced the narrative that Muslim citizens were dangerous. In the case of women and girls, as many of them are easily identifiable because of their religious attires, they were subjected to even harsher treatment. In addition, it prevented them from getting academic or professional opportunities. As well as to be reunited with loved ones. By increasing discrimination, fostering the stigma and hate towards Arab communities, stereotyping all Arabs as Muslims, and increasing the challenges for SWANA women and girls to move freely, either from these countries to the US and other parts of the world or inside to US to outside in fear of not being able to return, regardless of their legal and administrative rights to do so. Separation from family and loved ones, heightened daily insecurity, and a feeling of exclusion from the polity. Kept them in dangerous situations and away from safe havens or people, from lifesaving medical procedures. This ban is literally telling citizens that it is okay to discriminate against a group of people. I cannot imagine what kind of image that places on women of color specifically. In the US one in three women are sexually assaulted, and this ban puts an even larger target on the backs of SWANA women and girls. My aunt had her hijab taken off. Their education is impacted, others look at them like they are not wanted so they cannot get jobs they qualify for. Logistical arrangements or added official documentation needed for international students put pressure on those seeking to continue or begin international education travel restrictions also limit abilities to move to safer locations if fleeing from abuse or threats, whether intimate or government-imposed Unwelcoming and targeting the SWANA peoples depicts a message of clear prejudice, Islamophobia, and xenophobia. These dangerous actions further marginalize SWANA women and girls from participation in their local communities. Visibly Muslim and other Middle Eastern women and girls are at an especially higher risk of being verbally and physically assaulted in publicly due to Islamophobic rhetoric and polices US Administrations have pushed since 9/11. While some people are fleeing countries where it is more dangerous for women and girls, other people are unable to travel because of the fear of not being allowed back in or their families are torn apart.

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Southwest Asia & North Africa Working Group, Amplifying SWANA Women & Girls' Voices: Survey Results & Analysis

It prevents mothers, sisters, daughters etc. from seeing their loved ones in the US and abroad. Especially new mothers who typically need and would want help from their loved ones abroad. This is just one example of the important bond this Ban is destroying, but there are many more. It is hard to have an objective conversation about Muslim or Arab without being looked at as terrorist. The ban erased many identities, especially those of women and girls. Being banned suggests that the person banned deserves it. I think that that has a negative impact on the ways people are viewed and labeled. Before the bans, 9/11 & the Boston Bombings created a tense environment for people perceived to be Muslim. The bans in many ways lent credibility to existing racial, ethnic and religious biasing. Women, already being the most vulnerable gender, have been denied the chance to seek a better quality of life and opportunity in the world's richest nation. Thus, globally, they have continued to be the most impacted victims of conflict, political instability, and economic fallout due to COVID-19.

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation Southwest Asia & North Africa Working Group, Amplifying SWANA Women & Girls' Voices: Survey Results & Analysis

THANK YOU! SWANA thanks all survey contributors for their responses to these important questions. This survey analysis represents the first step towards truly understanding Muslim women and girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience following four years of discrimination under the weight of the Muslim Ban. WCAPS will continue to amplify these women and girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; voices to fight discrimination and Islamophobia and overcome the hurdles put in the way of their success, their safety, and their humanity. Learn more about SWANA at www.wcaps.org.