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- MEDIA ADVISORY -

DC: CAIR, UC Berkeley to Release First Annual Islamophobia Report
Groundbreaking report lists ‘worst’ Islamophobes, ‘best’ of those pushing back against growing anti-Muslim sentiment

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/21/11) -- On Thursday, June 23, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the University of California, Berkeley’s Center for Race and Gender will hold a news conference on Capitol Hill to release “Same Hate, New Target,” the first-of-its-kind annual report outlining the disturbing growth of Islamophobia in the United States during 2009-2010.

[NOTE: A number of CAIR chapters around the nation will hold similar news conferences to release the report.]

The groundbreaking report also lists the “worst” Islamophobes and the “best” of those pushing back against growing anti-Muslim sentiment in American society.

WHAT: CAIR, UC Berkeley to Release ‘Same Hate, New Target’ Islamophobia Report
WHEN: Thursday, June 23, 11 a.m.
WHERE: CAIR National Headquarters, 453 New Jersey Ave., S.E., Washington, D.C.
CONTACT: CAIR National Legislative Director Corey Saylor, 202-384-8857, E-Mail csaylor@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com

“This groundbreaking report creates a benchmark for examining the troubling growth of anti-Muslim sentiment in our society and offers a who’s who of those promoting or challenging Islamophobia,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. “As the recent GOP presidential debate demonstrated, Islamophobia is moving toward the mainstream and therefore must be challenged by all Americans who learned from those periods in our nation’s history when other minorities were similarly targeted.”

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Based on available data and interviews with experts, the report offers a definition of Islamophobia, an overview of its growing negative impact in the United States and names of individuals and institutions known for promoting or opposing the phenomenon. It has special sections on the manufactured controversy over the Park 51 Islamic community center in Manhattan, the 2010 Oklahoma ballot initiative targeting Islamic principles (Sharia) and Islamophobia in the 2010 elections.

The report also offers a vision regarding Islamophobia in America, looks toward the time when being Muslim carries a positive connotation and presents an initial set of recommendations for moving toward that goal.

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.

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CONTACT: CAIR National Legislative Director Corey Saylor, 202-384-8857, E-Mail csaylor@cair.com; UC Berkeley Professor Dr. Hatem Bazian, 510-914-6722, E-Mail: hatemb@berkeley.edu; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-341-4171, 202-488-8787, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com