Washington, D.C. — Muslim Americans in Public Service (MAPS) extends our heartfelt solidarity to our colleagues and members, partners and affiliates across the nation who are profoundly affectedby the ongoing distress in the Middle East. 

 As MAPS is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization whose mission is to support Muslim public servants, MAPS refrains from making public statements on foreign or government policies that do not directly or specifically involve Muslim government employees and their workplaces within public institutions. Our unwavering commitment to the well-being of our community remains our top priority. We fully recognize the emotional weight the tragedy unfolding in Israel and Gaza places on our dedicated public servants, particularly those with personal connections to the region. We are also devastated by the horrific killing that took place in Plainfield, IL this past weekend. We grieve for Wadea Al-Fayoume. We pray for his mother Hanaan Shahin, the entire family, and their loved ones.

Our members also mourn the over a thousand killed in this week’s three earthquakes in Afghanistan. In these challenging times, we offer the following recommendations for seeking support: 

1.   Extend your compassionto your colleagues within the workplace. 

2.    Contact your HR department to explore availableEmployee Assistance Programs. If you prefer to seek external support,consider reaching out to the following mental Health resources:

·        https://naseeha.org/

·        https://www.oneworldstrong.org/,

·        https://ovc.ojp.gov/help-for-victims/

·        https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Coping-With-Grief-After-Community-Violence/SMA14-4888

3.   Report any instancesof Islamophobic or antisemitic behavior or discrimination more broadly in theworkplace to your line manager or contact your bureau EEO Officer to initiateEEO Counseling. To preserve your right to file a formal complaint, you must dothis within 45 days of the action you believe is discriminatory or when youfirst knew or should have known of the possible discrimination. Your EEOCounselor can also give you information about other possible avenues of redressfor your claim. MAPS also collects data on such adverse member experiences. Contact us at legaladvocacy@mapsnational.org for further information.

4.    If you or someone you know received any threats tolife due to the recent current events, feel free to let us know and we will doour best to relay those internally to appropriate stakeholders at the Bureau.Any threats should also be submitted as a tip to your local FBI office orelectronically via https://tips.fbi.gov/home. 

5.    Our partner organizationsand others have also provided guidance and can provide additional support andcontext during this time:

·        https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights

·        https://www.cair.com/resources/guides-and-toolkits/

·        https://www.ispu.org/countering-islamophobia/

·        https://www.ispu.org/government-administrators-toolkit/

·        https://www.americaindivisible.org/resources

·        https://www.eeoc.gov/religious-discrimination

·        https://www.usa.gov/job-discrimination-harassment

·        https://ing.org/maintaining-an-inclusive-workplace/

·        https://ing.org/what-you-need-to-know-about-bullying-of-muslim-students/

Thank you for your dedication to public service and to fostering understanding and unity. Your well-being matters to us, and we are here to support you. Our prayers are with everyone here and abroad during this difficult time.

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