The Philadelphia Bar Association today released the following statement regarding the Islamophobic attacks against Adeel Mangi, judicial nominee to the Philadelphia-based Third Circuit Court of Appeals, and standing in solidarity with a statement issued by the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania (APABA-PA):
“The Philadelphia Bar Association stands in solidarity with our colleagues and friends at the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania in condemning the Islamophobic questioning of Adeel Mangi by members of the U.S. Senate during Mangi’s confirmation process. If confirmed, Mangi would become the first Muslim-American to serve as a federal appeals court judge and only the third Muslim-American federal judge. The racist attacks on Mangi have no place in the judicial confirmation process, which should focus on his ample qualifications and experience, and the overwhelming support he has received from the legal community, including a unanimous “well-qualified” rating from the American Bar Association."
“As APABA-PA wrote in its statement, questioning ‘steeped in bias, hate, and prejudice,’ does nothing to advance civil discourse. Such attacks also hinder efforts to further build a qualified, diverse judiciary that reflects our wider citizenry, which has always been an important focus for our Association through our Judicial Commission and other efforts.”
We encourage you to read APABA’s statement, which can be found here.
