The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, is urging members of Congress to support Senate Bill S. 935 introduced by U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), which would prohibit the sale or licensing for export of designated U.S. defense articles to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) until the President certifies that the UAE is not providing material support to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan amidst its ongoing brutal genocide against civilians.
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In a statement, Washington, D.C., based CAIR said:
“We commend Senator Van Hollen for introducing this legislation and urge swift movement through the Foreign Relations Committee. We also call on the House of Representatives to introduce and pass companion legislation, mirroring the Senate measure, to send a bipartisan message that U.S. arms policy must not enable genocide. The weapons the U.S. sells or allows to be transferred carry with them its moral footprint. By supporting S. 935, Congress has the opportunity to end U.S.-enabled complicity in one of the gravest human-rights crises of our time.”
Its key provisions state that beginning on the date of enactment, the President may not sell or issue a license for the export of “covered defense articles” under the Arms Export Control Act to the UAE (or any UAE agency/instrumentality) until the U.S. President certifies to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee that the UAE is not providing material support to the RSF in Sudan. “Covered defense articles” refers to articles listed under Categories I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, XIV, XVI, XVII, or XVIII of the U.S. Munitions List (22 CFR Part 121).
The bill has been referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Earlier this week, CAIR condemned the ongoing massacres committed against Sudanese civilians, including racist attacks on Black refugees, by the Rapid Support Forces militia. The civil rights group called on the Trump administration and Congress to condemn the group, which allegedly receives military support from U.S. allies, increase sanctions on it and its leadership, and lift sanctions on the Sudanese military.
Credible evidence is mounting that the RSF – designated by U.S. officials and human-rights organizations for mass atrocities including ethnic cleansing, rape, and forced displacement in Sudan – is receiving arms and material support.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com