FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAIR: Oregon Mosque Arson Prompts Call to Protect Muslims

(SEATTLE, WA, 11/28/10) -- The Washington State chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-WA) today called on the FBI and state law enforcementauthorities to step up protection for the region’s Muslim community after an intentionally-set fire damaged a mosque in Oregon.

Fire officials say the Sunday morning blaze damaged the Salman Al-Farisi Islamic Center in Corvallis, Ore., a house of worship once attended by a recently-arrested terror suspect. The FBI is investigating the incident.

SEE: Fire Damages Mosque Bomb Suspect Attended

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“Just as American Muslims repudiate any act that would threaten our nation’s safety and security, we ask our fellow citizens to reject any attacks on Muslims or their religious institutions,” said CAIR-WA Executive Director Arsalan Bukhari.

Bukhari said he recently held a news conference in Seattle with two Muslim women who were allegedly attacked at a gas station by an assailant shouting racial and religious slurs.

CAIR-WA Video: Hate Crime Charges Filed in Attack on Muslim Women

Other recent anti-Muslim incidents include an attack on a New York Muslim mother and child, the arrest of New York teens who allegedly harassed a Muslim student because of his faith and the defacement of a South Carolina mosque.

Mosques in California, Tennessee, New York, Illinois, Wisconsin, Arizona, Louisiana, Kentucky, Texas, and Florida have faced vocal opposition or have been similarly targeted by hate incidents in recent months.

SEE: Lansing Man Who Burned Quran was Drunk, Angry

• CAIR-NY Seeks Hate Crime Charges in Attack on Muslim Mother, Child
• FBI Meets with Members of S.C. Mosque Defaced with Pork
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CAIR's national office recently announced the launch of a department devoted to addressing the alarming rise of Islamophobic sentiment in American society.

American Muslim individuals and institutions are being urged to review advice on security procedures contained in CAIR's "Muslim Community Safety Kit."

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.