In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Peter Beinart speaks with Maya Berry, Executive Director of the Arab American Institute. The two discuss Maya’s experience testifying on hate crimes before the Senate Judiciary Committee in September, where several Republican Senators challenged her in expressly anti-Arab ways. Peter and May discuss Maya’s testimony on anti-Arab hate crimes and why it’s so difficult to collect good data on them. Additionally, Peter and Maya talk about the 2024 presidential election and the ways in which Vice President Kamala Harris has botched her relationship with Arab Americans.
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Recorded on October 8, 2024
For more on Maya Berry’s testimony in the 9/17/24 hearing, see these resources:
- Maya Berry’s written testimony: ““A Threat to Justice Everywhere: Stemming the Tide of Hate Crimes in America.” (https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2024-09-17_-_testimony_-_berry.pdf)
- The video of the hearing. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_IF6j4rorA) Note especially these moments: Senator Kennedy (here), Senator Graham (here), and Senator Hawley (here).
- Lara Friedman’s analysis of the 9/17 Senate hearing, with many links, in her 9/20 Legislative Round-up. (https://fmep.org/resource/fmep-legislative-round-up-september-20-2024/#headline3)