HADITH OF THE DAY: FAITH EQUAL TO A MUSTARD SEED - TOP
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "On the Day of Resurrection, I will intercede and say, 'O my Lord! Admit into Paradise (even) those who have faith equal to a mustard seed in their hearts.'"
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Hadith 600
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VERSE OF THE DAY: NO INJUSTICE WITH GOD
"On the Day of Judgment, We shall set up scales of justice so that no one will be dealt with unjustly in any way; even if someone has an act as small as a grain of a mustard seed, We will bring it to account, and sufficient are We to settle the accounts."
The Holy Quran, 21:47
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Metropolitan Orlando's Muslim population grew dramatically in the past decade, gaining more than 25,000 worshippers since 2000, according to a new census of religions released today. Muslims were second only to Catholics, whose numbers increased by nearly 64,000, the census found.
Muslims now outnumber Presbyterians, Lutherans and Episcopalians in the Orlando area of Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. Imam Tariq Rasheed, director of the Islamic Center of Orlando, said the growth comes from Muslims moving to Central Florida from other American cities and from abroad.
"Because of the good weather, they are moving here in big numbers. They choose Florida because of the climate and housing is cheaper," he said.
Central Florida roughly followed the national trend where Muslims and Mormons experienced the greatest increase between 2000 and 2010, said Rich Houseal, who worked on the survey for the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies.
"The Muslims were the second-fastest growing group across the nation. The number of congregations almost doubled from 1,200 to 2,106," Houseal said. "Mormons were No. 1 [in numerical growth] with almost 2 million." (More)
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ACTION: TELL CONGRESS TO PASS END RACIAL PROFILING ACT, REVISE DOJ POLICY ON PROFILING - TOP
(WASHINGTON D.C., 5/1/2012) -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is urging American Muslims and other people of conscience to urge their member of Congress to support the End Racial Profiling Act (ERPA) and help end racial profiling by law enforcement agencies in America.
CAIR Video Action Alert: End Racial Profiling in America
CAIR Online Action Alert: End Racial Profiling in America
CAIR Online Action Alert: End Racial Profiling in America
On April 17, the Senate Judiciary Committee held its first hearing on the issue of racial profiling in more than a decade. Testifying before the committee in support of ending racial profiling in America included ERPA sponsors Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) and Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), as well as act co-sponsors Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL), Keith Ellison (D-MN) Judy Chu (D-CA), and Frederica Wilson (D-FL). If passed, the ERPA will promote measures to eliminate profiling based on race, ethnicity, national origin, and religion by federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement.
At the same time, Sen. Dick Durbin and Rep. Conyers gathered signatures from 13 senators and 53 representatives asking the Department of Justice to change its policy on racial profiling. Revisions to the guidance include measures that will prevent profiling based on religion and national origin and eliminate loopholes that permit profiling at U.S. borders and for reasons of national security. While the letter has been delivered to the Justice Department, it remains open for additional signatures.
Presiding over the hearing, Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill) observed "Racial profiling undermines the rule of law and strikes at the core of our nation's commitment to equal protection for all."
Testifying before the committee, Rep Ellison related that "Like other Americans, Muslim Americans want law enforcement to uphold public safety and to not be viewed as a threat but an ally... It's very important to focus on the proper use of law enforcement resources and not to give an opening for someone's stereotype or prejudice." Rep. Ellison went on to urge "the attorney general to close the loophole in the Justice Department's racial profiling guidance" and his "colleagues in Congress to pass the end racial profiling act."
SEE: Video Clip of Rep. Keith Ellison's Testimony
As highlighted in CAIR's submitted testimony to the Senate hearing, CAIR believes that profiling is not an effective law enforcement tactic and that it diverts precious law enforcement resources away from following actual leads and preventing illegal and violent acts.
As highlighted in CAIR's submitted testimony to the Senate hearing, CAIR believes that profiling is not an effective law enforcement tactic and that it diverts precious law enforcement resources away from following actual leads and preventing illegal and violent acts.
SEE: CAIR Submitted Testimony to Senate Hearing on Racial Profiling
http://tinyurl.com/cu93hq5
http://tinyurl.com/cu93hq5
Following the hearing, an additional senator and 12 representatives went on to co-sponsor the ERPA. In a call to further action, CAIR seeks an additional 10 co-sponsors of the act to provide additional support for the act's passage.
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED:
To contact your representatives in Congress and ask them to end racial profiling in America, CAIR has provided a letter to which you can add a message of your own or simply fill in your name and address and click "Send Message."
GO TO: End Racial Profiling in America
Tell Congress to Pass the End Racial Profiling Act and Revise the Department of Justice Policy on Racial Profiling
Tell Congress to Pass the End Racial Profiling Act and Revise the Department of Justice Policy on Racial Profiling
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CAIR: CALIF. MUSLIMS TO HOLD FIRST-EVER 'MUSLIM DAY AT THE CAPITOL' - TOP
(SACRAMENTO, CA, 5/1/12) -- On Monday, May 7, members of the California Muslim community will participate in the 1st Annual "Muslim Day at the Capitol."
This first-of-its-kind event seeks to promote community engagement in local politics and to discuss issues of interest to the Muslim community -- including civil rights and immigration -- with legislators. The afternoon will include appointments with state representatives and senators.
WHAT: Muslim Day at the Capitol
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
WHERE: Sacramento Convention Center and the State Capitol
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
WHERE: Sacramento Convention Center and the State Capitol
"As a community that is well-educated and integrated, American Muslims have an important role to play in our society's social and political fabric," said CAIR-CA Board Chairman Masoud Nassimi. "It is important that members of our community engage with state lawmakers and fully participate in setting the course for a stronger California."
A recent study indicated that Muslim voters could play a decisive role in swing states this November. He also noted that CAIR's 2012 "Muslims Vote" campaign is designed to empower American Muslims by increasing their political capacity and presence. (More)
Watch the video.
On May 1, members of the Muslim community in Missouri are inviting people of all faiths to an open house with the theme "Clarifying the Myths Surrounding Sharia" from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Muslim Community Masjid in Jefferson City.
WHAT: Muslim Community Open House in Jefferson City
WHEN: Tuesday, May 1st, 6-9 p.m.
WHERE: Jefferson City Muslim Community, 5123 Moreau Ridge Rd, Jefferson City MO 65109.
CONTACT: CAIR-St. Louis Executive Director Faizan Syed, 636-207-8882, E-Mail: fsyed@cair.com
There will be presentations on topics such as the basics of Islam, the status of women in Islam and understanding sharia, followed by Q&A.
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CAIR-TX: KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES AS AN AMERICAN MUSLIM TOWN HALL - TOP
On May 1, members of the Muslim community in Missouri are inviting people of all faiths to an open house with the theme "Clarifying the Myths Surrounding Sharia" from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Muslim Community Masjid in Jefferson City.
WHAT: Muslim Community Open House in Jefferson City
WHEN: Tuesday, May 1st, 6-9 p.m.
WHERE: Jefferson City Muslim Community, 5123 Moreau Ridge Rd, Jefferson City MO 65109.
CONTACT: CAIR-St. Louis Executive Director Faizan Syed, 636-207-8882, E-Mail: fsyed@cair.com
There will be presentations on topics such as the basics of Islam, the status of women in Islam and understanding sharia, followed by Q&A.
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CAIR-TX: KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES AS AN AMERICAN MUSLIM TOWN HALL - TOP
How Islamaphobia and anti-Muslim sentiment is impacting civil rights. The presentation will include what Muslims can do to minimize the negative effects of Islamaphobia, and build positive relationships and coalitions. Participants will learn what their basic civil rights are, and how to assure their rights are protected at work, school, and in the public square. Attendees will also learn what to do when contacted by law enforcement, if stopped by police, and when stopped while traveling at the border or in the airport.
Featuring CAIR-Texas Executive Director, Mustafaa Carroll. (More)
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CAIR-LA: OC MUSLIMS CONNECT WITH JAPANESE-AMERICAN INTERNMENT STRUGGLE - TOP
Yasmin Nouh, OC Weekly, 4/30/12
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CAIR-LA: OC MUSLIMS CONNECT WITH JAPANESE-AMERICAN INTERNMENT STRUGGLE - TOP
Yasmin Nouh, OC Weekly, 4/30/12
John Asanuma was 11 years old when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, paving the path for mass imprisonment of Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor. The Los Angeles native and his parents were sent to Manzanar in 1942--one of the largest camps housing more than 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. The desert weather at the camp, located near Death Valley, brought in scorching summers and chilling winters. When it snowed, John and his friends built makeshift snow slides. During the other seasons, they played softball with sticks and pine cones. Three years later, officials closed the camp, and John and his parents moved to Fresno.
"When I left camp, the first thing I did was kiss the street," he said. "I felt my sense of freedom again."
Asanuma revisited the camp on Saturday at the yearly "Manzanar Pilgrimage", a day-long program dedicated to remembering that dark era in American history and the lessons that came out of it. The annual program draws approximately 1,000 participants; among them was a group of about 50 Muslim Americans, hosted by the Anaheim-based chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR).
"It's important for Muslim Americans to understand how another group struggled," said CAIR spokesperson Munira Syeda. "And what happens if people remain silent and don't stand up for the rights our Constitution grants us." (More)
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CAIR: RACIAL PROFILING AT US AIRPORTS? HERE'S AN APP FOR THAT (AFP) - TOP
Robert MacPherson, AFP, 4/30/12
CAIR: RACIAL PROFILING AT US AIRPORTS? HERE'S AN APP FOR THAT (AFP) - TOP
Robert MacPherson, AFP, 4/30/12
WASHINGTON -- Travelers who suspect they are victims of profiling by security screeners at US airports can now lodge a complaint in minutes, thanks to a smartphone application released on Monday.
The Sikh Coalition, supported by African American, Latino and Muslim civil rights groups, said its FlyRights app can be used by anyone who feels their rights were violated at the security barrier.
"For too long, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has kept a long leash on its screeners, telling them not to profile, but taking no effective measures to stop it," said its director of programs Amardeep Singh.
"Until that happens, we call on the public to hold the TSA accountable by downloading the FlyRights app and filing reports when appropriate." ...
"It is known that profiling is not an effective means of law enforcement," said Gadeir Abbas of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
"When we profile, we not only stigmatize the minority community, but we also do our concerns about safety a disservice." (More)
SEE ALSO:
As Connecticut tries to salvage a disgraced racial profiling law, the leader of a national black cop group called the fix "a joke."
New Haven cop Shafiq Abdussabur (pictured), the new head of the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers (NABLEO), offered that take at a panel on racial profiling at Gateway Community College's Long Wharf campus Monday evening.
The event was cosponsored by the the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, the African American Affairs Commission, the Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission, the Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission, the NAACP, the Police Chiefs Commission, and the Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparity in the Criminal Justice System.
Fair brought up another complaint raised during the discussion--that the bill does not require the state to collect data on the religion of motorists at traffic stops.
Mongi Dhaouadi, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, had made the case for the collecting data on religion because of rampant discrimination against Muslims in the wake of 9/11. The new bill adds religion as a protected class, but does not require officers to mark down the religion of drivers, because of a fear that it would be too difficult for cops to determine. (More)
Lansing-- A prayer caucus being formed in the Michigan Legislature that specifically endorses Judeo-Christian tradition is drawing criticism for ignoring Islam and other religions.
Lawmakers plan to launch the Michigan Legislative Prayer Caucus on Wednesday, with Republican Lt. Gov. Brian Calley attending.
In its declaration of establishment, the caucus said that it is "a bipartisan body of believers of Scriptural Truth, adhering to established Judeo-Christian principles and Religious Liberties that were widely practiced by the Founders of these United States of America and the state of Michigan." ...
The Michigan head of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Dawud Walid, said the caucus's statements were bothersome and self-contradicting.
"I'm a firm believer that our elected officials have the right to have their values guided by their sincerely held religious convictions," Walid said. "However I'm somewhat troubled by the exclusionary language. ... On the one hand it's being articulated that it's open to all. On the other hand, there's some exclusionary language in there." (More)
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POLICE REMOVE MUSLIM WOMEN FROM PAM GELLER'S ANTI-ISLAM CONFERENCE -TOP
Eli Clifton, ThinkProgress, 4/30/12
POLICE REMOVE MUSLIM WOMEN FROM PAM GELLER'S ANTI-ISLAM CONFERENCE -TOP
Eli Clifton, ThinkProgress, 4/30/12
Yesterday in Dearborn, Michigan, noted anti-Muslim activists Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer hosted a conference promising to advocate for "human rights" in one of the largest Muslim communities in the United States. Geller, writing on her blog on Sunday, warned, "We will meet fierce resistance by Islamic supremacists who will do anything, say anything to impose the sharia and whitewash the oppression, subjugation and slaughter of women under Islamic law."
But surprisingly, Muslim women found themselves denied entry to the conference and, after patiently waiting in the corridor after being told to wait, were removed from the Hyatt Hotel by the Dearborn Police Department and Hyatt security.
Several of the young women commented that they shared a similar appearance with Jessica Mokdad, the young women who Geller and Spencer claim was murdered in an "honor killing" (a conclusion not shared by Mokdad's family or Michigan prosecutors).
ThinkProgress attempted to attend the event and was turned away, and eventually removed from the Hyatt by the police, along with the young women. One of the women commented, "I tried emailing [Pamela Geller to register] and I literally couldn't get any kind of response back." That comment seems to contradict Geller's claim that she wants to help Muslim women and that the conference was in defense of the human rights of Muslim women. (More)
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WORKING WHILE MUSLIM: RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION IN THE WORKPLACE - TOP
Anayat Durrani, Plaintiff Magazine, April 2012
WORKING WHILE MUSLIM: RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION IN THE WORKPLACE - TOP
Anayat Durrani, Plaintiff Magazine, April 2012
Politics and religion are taboo subjects at the water cooler. But some employers (and employees) still haven't gotten the memo on that. In an increasingly diverse workplace, discussion about political views, religion or global events can rapidly progress to potential conflict. Federal, state and local employment laws prohibit discriminatory treatment at the workplace, yet cases continue to mount, particularly for American Muslim employees.
A San Francisco jury awarded $465,000 in January 2012 to a 27-yearold Muslim security guard who said his co-workers and supervisors called him a terrorist and an al-Qaida member. The jury added $400,000 in punitive damages to their award of $65,000 for lost wages and emotional distress. (More)
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