WHAT TO EXPECT AT CAIR'S BOOTH AT THE ISNA CONVENTION: CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, iPAD2 RAFFLE - TOP

CAIR staff will be attending the ISNA convention in Chicago this weekend (July 1-4), and CAIR will have a booth in the bazaar (booths #308 & 310). Please stop by and see us!

If you're interested in working for CAIR, we currently have three career opportunities at our national office:

• civil rights manager
  
• accountant
  
• development director

You can learn more on our website at http://www.cair.com/Employment.aspx, or visit our booth at the ISNA convention and drop off your resume and cover letter.

If you have not had a chance to read our new report on Islamophobia, "Same Hate, New Target: Islamophobia and Its Impact in the United States," you can purchase a copy at the booth.

Also, make sure to enter CAIR's raffle to win a free iPad 2! Just stop by our booth in the bazaar, fill out a quick survey, and your name will be entered for the drawing. The winner will be randomly selected on Sunday at 6 p.m.

On Sunday at 10:30 a.m., CAIR representatives will lead a session called "Achieving the Vision: Your Role in Shaping an America Free of Islamophobia." The panel will include CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad, CAIR Government Affairs Director Corey Saylor, and UC Berkeley professor Dr. Hatem Bazian.

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FEDERAL JUDGE RULES AGAINST ABERCROMBIE & FITCH IN HIJAB SUIT - TOP
David Harper, Tulsa World, 6/29/2011

A Tulsa federal judge ruled Wednesday in favor of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in its lawsuit against Abercrombie & Fitch for not hiring a Muslim teenager who wore a hijab, or religiously mandated headscarf.

U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell found that the company did not show that it would have sustained any significant "undue hardship" if it had accommodated the religious beliefs of Samantha Elauf, who in June 2008 applied to work in a sales position at the Abercrombie Kids store in Tulsa's Woodland Hills Mall.

Frizzell's decision means a jury will determine what, if any, damages should be awarded. The trial is tentatively scheduled to start July 18.

The EEOC filed the lawsuit in September 2009 in U.S. District Court in Tulsa, citing the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1991 as the basis for the action. (More)

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CAIR: IWF CHANGES RULES ON ATTIRE FOR US MUSLIM ATHLETE - TOP
Yahoo, 6/29/2011

Weightlifting's world governing body agreed Wednesday to modify its clothing rules to accommodate a Muslim women competing for the United States.

Kulsoom Abdullah of Atlanta was barred from entering higher-level U.S. competitions. Her Muslim faith requires that she covers her arms, legs and head, which violates international rules governing weightlifting attire.

USA Weightlifting took her case to the International Weightlifting Federation, which agreed to change the rules after its technical committee reviewed the proposal.

"The modified rule changes permit athletes to wear a one-piece, full-body, tight-fitted 'unitard' under the compulsory weightlifting costume," IWF vice president Sam Coffa said.

"The 'unitard' will enable technical officials to effectively adjudicate areas of the body which are essential to the correct execution of the lift."

Abdullah called the ruling a great victory. (More)

SEE ALSO:

VIDEO: Weightlifting Org Modifies Clothing Rule for Muslim Woman
CAIR: Weightlifting Attire Rules Changed After Muslim Woman's Mission
CAIR: U.S. Muslim Weightlifter Wins Right to Wear Hijab During Competition

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MILWAUKEE MUSLIM WOMEN'S COALITION TO OPEN RESOURCE CENTER - TOP
Annysa Johnson, Milwaukee Wisconsin Jounal Sentinel, 6/28/2011

For 17 years, the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition has worked to dispel myths and educate the public about Islam through outreach, interfaith dialogue and informational programs.

But it never had a home of its own. That officially changes next month with the opening of the coalition's newest venture, the Islamic Resource Center for Community Outreach at5235 S. 27th St. in Greenfield.

The 5,000-square-foot center, in addition to housing the coalition offices, will serve as a first-of-its-kind clearinghouse locally for all things Islam - offering a lending library, Arabic language classes, and an array of cultural programming from lectures and films to cooking classes.

"We want to be accessible to the general public, to public school teachers, anyone who just wants to learn about Islam," said Janan Najeeb, president of the coalition who with her husband, physician Waleed Najeeb, invested nearly $1 million of their own money into the project. (More)

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CAIR: GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES' VIEWS OF ISLAM STIR CONTROVERSY - TOP
Jerome Socolovsky, Voice of America, 6/25/2011

Some candidates for the U.S. presidential election next year have been making statements about Islam and its American adherents that are stirring controversy. Civil rights groups warn that the candidates are pushing anti-Muslim views into the mainstream.

No one has gone as far as Herman Cain. The former chairman of a pizza chain was one of the lesser known Republican candidates - that is, until a few months ago - when he said that, if he was president, he would not like to have a Muslim working for him. At a debate in New Hampshire several weeks ago, Cain said that would make him uncomfortable. "And I would not be comfortable because you have peaceful Muslims and then you have militant Muslims, those that are trying to kill us," he said.

Cain denied that he is anti-Muslim, but he argued that a Muslim applying to work in his administration would be subject to a different level of screening than someone of another faith. Another republican candidate, Newt Gingrich, suggested during the New Hampshire Republican debate that Muslims seeking a job in an administration he leads would be subject to special loyalty tests. (More)

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TEXAS ANTI-SHARIA AMENDMENT DROPPED - TOP
Andy Hogue, The Lone Star Report, 6/29/2011

Thanks in part to the extension of time brought by an impasse over SB 1 and the anti-TSA-groping bill, the House met this morning and passed the courts reform bill.

The House concurred with the Senate's changes to HB 79 by a vote of 94-44.

The Senate adjourned sine die yesterday (June 28).

Though many Representatives took to the back mic to state for the record "this is a House bill, not a Senate bill" the members were willing to accept the other chamber's tweaking over the alternative: the death of the bill.

The Senate stripped, among other House amendments, an anti-"Sharia Law" provision by Rep. Leo Berman (R-Tyler). (More)

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MUSLIM'S LAWSUIT ACCUSES BEST BUY OF DISCRIMINATION - TOP
Marissa Evans, Star Tribune, 6/28/2011

A week after reaching a $10 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit brought by women and minority workers, Best Buy Co. Inc. is facing another round of accusations over discriminatory practices in the workplace.

Majeed "Todd" Abed, a Muslim Arab, sued his former employer Tuesday in federal court in Alexandria, Va., claiming he was repeatedly overlooked for promotions and fired from his 13-year career at Best Buy for refusing to follow the company's "Be On the Look Out" policy, according to the 17 page-lawsuit.

The policy was meant to tell employees which customers appeared likely to shoplift, do fraudulent credit card transactions or other illegal activity, the lawsuit said. Abed, who had received company awards for his work, claims that employees circulated e-mails among managers in the region containing images and descriptions of customers supposedly suspected of theft to be posted in their respective stores. The e-mails "identified customers as suspicious based on nothing more than bare descriptions such as 'bearded Middle Eastern guy who looked shady' or 'black ghetto guy,'" the lawsuit said. (More)

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ILLINOIS HOUSE PASSES GREEN RAMADAN RESOLUTION - TOP
Hena Zuberi, Muslim Matters, 6/30/2011

On June 1, the Illinois House passed the Green Ramadan resolution allowing the ninth month of the Islamic calendar as a "Green Month" for all faith communities in Illinois.

"It is a great day for people of faith and for Illinois's Muslim. Illinois is the first state in the nation that recognizes the month of Ramadan, the month of fasting in Islam, as the month of protecting our environment and our earth for all faith groups." said Dr. Zaher Sahloul, Chairperson of the CIOGC. "It is incumbent on us to translate the great teachings of Islam, especially during the month of Ramadan, into serious and practical steps to address the challenges that are facing our world like poverty, hunger, wars and global warming. Let us reflect during the month of fasting, not only on how to decrease our calories, but on how to shrink our carbon prints." (More)