• CAIR-OK: Oklahoma Tornadoes Community Prayer Services Planned
  The event is sponsored by the Interfaith Alliance of Oklahoma, with support from the Institute of Interfaith Dialog, Oklahoma Conference of Churches and the Council for American-Islamic Relations-Oklahoma chapter.
  
  • CAIR-OK: Oklahoma Muslims Offer Tornado Relief Aid
• Video: CAIR-MN Asks DOE to Investigate Video of School Altercation
• Study Finds Muslim Women Wearing Headscarves Face Job Discrimination
  The findings revealed that wearing a hijab had a negative impact in all aspects of the hiring process compared to Muslim women who did not wear a hijab.
• Was discrimination displayed against the Islamic Center of Mobile?
  During Tuesday's debate, Mobile City Councilman Fred Richardson openly questioned whether some residents did not approve of the Islamic faith and were using the parking issue as a way to remove them.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAIR Shares Safety Tips with Muslim Council of Britain After Mosque Attacks
U.S. Muslim civil rights group now offers online version of security guidelines

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/29/13) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said today it has shared its recently-published security guidelines, "Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety," with the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) after a number of incidents targeting that nation's mosques.

MCB said the guidelines would help to review its own advisory, circulated to all affiliates immediately after the recent killing of a soldier in London. That attack was strongly condemned by CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, and by British Muslim organizations.

SEE: 200 Islamophobic Incidents Since Lee Rigby's Killing
CAIR Statement in Response to Attack on Soldier in London

Several weeks prior to the soldier's murder, a 75-year-old U.K. Muslim was stabbed to death in an incident that authorities suspect was bias-motivated.

SEE: Mohammed Saleem and Lee Rigby Both Victims of Senseless Violence

CAIR's announcement came following a statement yesterday calling on state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate vandalism targeting a Georgia mosque as a hate crime.

Video: CAIR Says Ga. Mosque Vandalism May Be Tied to London Incident
Video: CAIR Asks FBI to Probe Georgia Mosque Vandalism
CAIR: Georgia Islamic Center Victim of Vandalism (Atlanta Journal)

"We hope CAIR's new safety guidelines will help community leaders boost security at mosques in the United Kingdom during this time of crisis," said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. "While conditions may differ between our two nations, many of CAIR's safety recommendations may be applied in any situation."

Hooper said CAIR also today announced the availability of an electronic version of its safety guidelines, which may be ordered free of charge online by Muslim community leaders. CAIR began distributing hard copies of the publication last week.

To request a free e-copy of CAIR's "Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety," go to: http://www.cair.com/mosque-safety-guide.html

If you can, please donate to cover the costs of publication and distribution.

SEE: CAIR Distributes New Mosque Safety Guidelines

CAIR's guidelines, which include safety recommendations drafted by a leading security consultant, are designed to be used by mosque officials, Muslim school administrators and other community leaders and activists who seek to identify and eliminate vulnerabilities to bias-motivated attacks.

Front Cover: 'Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety'
Sample Page

The mosque safety publication includes sections outlining initial security steps to take and how to assess an institution's vulnerability to attack. Other sections include a checklist for safety preparation and planning, details on security equipment, how to deal with an armed intruder, procedures for handling bomb threats or suspicious packages, and links to security resources available from private and government sources.

Following the recent attacks on British mosques, MCB issued its own safety guidelines to the community.

SEE: Advisory for Mosques and British Muslims

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.

- END -

- MEDIA ADVISORY -

CAIR-FL to Call for Probe of FBI Shooting After Revelation that Suspect was Unarmed

(TAMPA, FL, 5/29/13) -- Later today, the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) will hold a news conference in Orlando to call for an independent investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division into theFBI's shooting of an unarmed Orlando Muslim after hours of interrogation in his house.

Sources now say Ibragim Todashev was unarmed when he was shot and killed by an FBI agent during lengthy questioning in Orlando last week.

"Our call for an independent investigation of this disturbing incident is not just about the victim and his family, but is also about constitutional rights and the rule of law," said CAIR-Tampa Executive Director Hassan Shibly.

A friend who was at the apartment during the interrogation and Todashev's widow will take part in the news conference.

WHAT: CAIR-FL News Conference Calling for Independent DOJ Investigation of FBI's Shooting of Ibragim Todashev 
WHEN: Wednesday, May 29, 7 p.m. (Eastern)
WHERE: Rainforest Conference Room, 8480 International Dr., Orlando, FL 32819
CONTACT: CAIR-Tampa Executive Director Hassan Shibly, 813-541-4321, hshibly@cair.com

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.

• CAIR Good News Alert: Va. Muslim’s No-Fly List Case Clears Legal Hurdle
  On May 28, in a decision that has major implications for the government's use of the no-fly list, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected government efforts to dismiss Gulet Mohamed's challenge to his placement on the list. In siding with Mohamed, the court rejected efforts to subject his claim to a standard of review designed to favor the government. The court found that no law Congress has passed "constructed an administrative process for resolving claims like Mohamed's." In so holding, the Fourth Circuit paved the way for a decision from the district court on the merits of his "challenge to past and future restrictions on his ability to travel." (Read more.)
• Video: CAIR Lawsuit Claims U.S. Muslims Detained, Asked About Religion
  "There is an actual policy that's in place that instructs these border authorities and FBI agents at the borders to ask a certain set of questions," says CAIR attorney Lena Masri. . ."Which mosque do you pray at? Do you pray your morning prayer at the mosque? Who is your religious leader? Are you Sunni or are you Shia?" Masri says. "They're invasive, and they're unconstitutional."
• CAIR-MI: Judge Compares Profiling of Muslims to NYC's Stop-And-Frisk (Free Press) A federal judge in Detroit compared the alleged profiling of Muslim Americans at border crossings to claims that the New York City Police Department is targeting African Americans with its controversial stop-and-frisk program.
• Video: CAIR on CNN to Discuss Call for Probe of FBI Shooting of Unarmed Muslim
  • Video: CAIR Wants Civil Rights Probe of Todashev Death (AP)
  • CAIR: Muslim was Unarmed When Shot (Wash. Post)
  • CAIR: Islamic Group Calls for Probe Into Fla. Shooting (Boston Globe)
  • CAIR: FBI Shot 'Unarmed Chechen' They Were Questioning (AFP)
  • Video: CAIR Demands Answers After Fatal FBI Shooting in Florida (CBS)
  • CAIR Demands Investigation of Todashev Shooting (Orlando Weekly)
  • CAIR: Boston Suspect Friend Unarmed When Killed by FBI Agent (UPI)
• CAIR-Chicago: Muslim Leaders to Urge Senator Kirk to Support Immigration Reform
  CAIR-Chicago and other Muslim leaders in Chicago will hold a press conference to encourage Senator Mark Kirk and all congressional leaders who have been silent on the issue of comprehensive immigration reform to support it.
• CAIR: US, UK Muslims Share Safety Tips
• Guantanamo Guard Converts to Islam, Demands Release of Detainees (NY Daily News

• CAIR-MI: Hearing Scheduled in Suit Over Border Questioning of Muslims
  On Wednesday, May 29, CAIR-Michigan will hold a news conference in Detroit prior to a hearing on a federal lawsuit against U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the FBI over the repeated detention and questioning of Muslims about their religious beliefs and practices by federal agents at and inside the United States-Canada border and other ports of entry. 
  
  • CAIR: Is Struggling for Civil Rights the Pursuit of Happiness?
    American Muslims are on the frontlines of helping ensure our nation does not take a wrong turn and become an unjust, unequal society.
• CAIR: Michigan Muslim Capitol Day Returns to Lansing 
  
  • CAIR-MI: Pressure Cooker Found in Restroom Disrupts Muslim Conference
• American Muslim Woman Faces Stereotypes
  • Islamophobia Watch: Female-Only Swims Take Heat
    Critics charge the concept, geared to cultures and religions that forbid mixed-gender pool outings, is everything from sexist to an attempt by Muslims to bring in Sharia law via the back door.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAIR-MN Asks DOE to Investigate Video of Altercation Between Teacher, Student

(MINNEAPOLIS, MN, 5/28/13) -- The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) today called on the U.S. Department of Education to investigate a violent altercation in a classroom between a teacher and Somali student.

SEE: Anoka-Hennepin Investigating Classroom Altercation (MPR)
CAIR-MN: Champlin Park Teacher Accused of Assaulting Student

Concerned Somali community members reported the incident to CAIR-MN after two videos were posted online. In the first video, a student is seen approaching the Somali student and violently attacking him after a verbal altercation. In the second video, a teacher appears to grab the Somali student by the throat, choke him, and twist his limbs. In that video, a student watching the ordeal is heard saying to the teacher, "That’s enough, Mr. Hall" in an attempt to stop him.

Video I and Video II

"Due to the egregious nature of this incident, we are asking the U.S. Department of Education to conduct a swift, open and independent investigation," said CAIR-MN Executive Director Lori Saroya. "A determination must be made as to whether the teacher followed protocol and if he used excessive force during this violent altercation."

Saroya said that Minnesota law states that any "unreasonable interference with a child’s breathing" cannot be considered reasonable force.

SEE: Minn. Stat 626.556 Sub. 2 (g) (5)

Last year, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) reached a federal agreement with Owatonna and St. Cloud Public Schools after CAIR-MN asked for an investigation into the harassment of Somali Muslim students.

SEE: CAIR-MN Asks DOE to Address Racial Tensions in Minn. Schools 

In 2012, the Anoka-Hennepin School District settled two lawsuits and a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the bullying of students after six district students committed suicide in less than two years.

SEE: Anoka-Hennepin School District Settles Lawsuits Over Gay Bullying, Gender Neutral Policy

In February 2013, CAIR-MN called on Minneapolis South High School to utilize mediation and multi-cultural competency training to help remedy race-related issues at the school after a brawl reportedly between Somali and African-American students erupted at the school.

SEE: Food Fight Erupts Into Melee (Star Trib)

In January 2013, African-American students reported feeling unsafe at Washburn High School after a hate incident involving a dark-skinned doll that was hung by a string at the school.

SEE: Activists want disclosure in Mpls. Washburn High doll incident

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.

CAIR Asks FBI to Probe Georgia Mosque Vandalism Tied to London Attack
Muslim civil rights group urges U.S. mosques to use new safety guidelines

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/28/13) -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate vandalism targeting a Georgia mosque as a hate crime.

Police in Alpharetta, Ga., are investigating graffiti spray-painted on the sign for the Islamic Center of North Fulton. The graffiti included the phrase "London Justice," an apparent reference to the recent attack on a British soldier in London.

Video: CAIR Asks FBI to Probe Georgia Mosque Vandalism
SEE ALSO: Vandals Target Mosque in Alpharetta

"We urge law enforcement authorities to send a clear message that bias attacks on American houses of worship will not be tolerated and that the perpetrators will be brought to justice," said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. "Leaders of American mosques can help protect their congregations by implementing the security guidelines outlined in CAIR's new safety publication."

Last week, CAIR began distributing new safety and security guidelines to mosques and other Islamic institutions nationwide. The new CAIR publication, "Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety," was produced in response to recent bias attacks, including a series of incidents last year targeting American Muslim institutions.

To request a free e-copy of CAIR's "Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety," send contact information and mosque affiliation to ihooper@cair.com.

CAIR's guidelines, which include safety recommendations drafted by a leading security consultant, are designed to be used by mosque officials, Muslim school administrators and other community leaders and activists who seek to identify and eliminate vulnerabilities to bias-motivated attacks.

The mosque safety booklet includes sections outlining initial security steps to take and how to assess an institution's vulnerability to attack. Other sections include a checklist for safety preparation and planning, details on security equipment, how to deal with an armed intruder, procedures for handling bomb threats or suspicious packages, and links to security resources available from private and government sources.

Earlier today, the Minnesota chapter of CAIR said it has called on the U.S. Department of Education to investigate a violent altercation in a classroom between a teacher and Somali student.

Tomorrow, CAIR's Michigan chapter will hold a news conference in Detroit prior to a hearing on a federal lawsuit against U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the FBI over the repeated detention and questioning of Muslims about their religious beliefs and practices by federal agents at and inside the United States-Canada border and other ports of entry.

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.

CAIR Asks Muslims to Pray for, Aid Oklahoma Tornado Victims 
Home of CAIR-OK's board chair destroyed while family huddled in closet

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/21/13) -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today urged American Muslims to offer whatever assistance they can to help alleviate the suffering of those impacted by yesterday's deadly tornado in Oklahoma.

CAIR also urged Muslims and Americans of all faiths to pray for the victims and their loved ones. The civil rights group's Oklahoma chapter is teaming up with the Islamic Society of Tulsa and the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City to collect items to prepare disaster relief kits for the victims of the storms.

SEE:  Collecting Items for Disaster Relief Kits for Moore Tornado Victims

"We ask Muslims in Oklahoma and throughout the United States to pray for those impacted by this disaster and to do whatever they can to offer material assistance to the survivors," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. "It is at times like this that we must come together as a nation to help those in need."

Awad said the home of CAIR's Oklahoma chapter board chair, Saad Mohammed, was destroyed while his family sought shelter from the tornado in a closet. No one in the family was injured.

"CAIR-Oklahoma will coordinate with disaster officials to help facilitate the Muslim community's role in the recovery effort," said the chapter's executive director Adam Soltani.

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.

• CAIR Hopes President's Words Translate into Action
  CAIR said it hopes President Obama's comments in a speech on national security policy, which expressed opposition to "boundless global war" as a pillar of American foreign policy, are translated into concrete reforms. The president's speech at the National Defense University outlined his administration's views on issues that included done warfare, the Guantanamo Bay detention camp and efforts to combat violent extremism.
• CAIR: 'Hijab-Friendly' Policy Urged in U.S. Prisons
  The Council on American-Islamic Relations is aiming for a uniform "hijab-friendly" policy to allow Muslim women to keep their head cover during detention and photos in all local and federal U.S. prisons. "I'm working on several pending cases in different states ... and I'm in touch with an attorney for the Department of Justice's Office of Civil Rights," Nadhira al-Khalili, legal counsel for CAIR, told Al Arabiya.
• Video: CAIR-OK Board Chair Describes Surviving Moore Tornado
  
• CAIR-SV: Review of 'An American Mosque' Comes Up Short (Sacramento Bee)
  Surprisingly, Ortiz faults this inspiring film for not including sufficient "dissenting views" on "Muslims and the building of mosques." Are such views truly a form of dissent? After the 1999 bombings of Sacramento area synagogues, did the media need to include the "dissenting" voices of white supremacists?
• CAIR: Michigan Muslim Capitol Day Returns to Lansing
  The event is organized by the Michigan Muslim Community Council and a co-sponsor is the Council on American-Islamic Relations' Michigan chapter.
• CAIR Co-Hosts Meeting of Civil, Human Rights Activists in Cleveland
  The Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland), the Bill of Rights Defense Committee (BORDC) and the Carl Stokes Brigade, along with other groups recently convened an organizing forum for more than 30 community activists from across the greater Cleveland area. 
• CAIR-Tampa: A Diversity Council Is No Place for Bigotry
• Zuhdi Jasser: The Islamophobia Industry's Favorite Muslim
  Jasser is also affiliated with the American Islamic Congress – a group that has received immense funding from key members of the Islamophobia Industry -- including Sheldon Adelson, the Klarman Foundation, and the Donor's Capitol Fund. He also sits on the Clarion Fund Board of Advisors alongside Gaffney, Walid Phares (former Ariel Sharon ally) – and the man known as the "Godfather of Islamophobia in the U.S." -- Daniel Pipes. 
  
  • Geller-Spencer Allies 'English Defence League' Riot in Britain
• Profiling: The Only Unfair Thing Ever (Linda Sarsour on 'The Daily Show')
• Sources Backtrack on Whether Tamerlan's Friend Had Knife
  Three law enforcement officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said initially that Todashev had lunged at the FBI agent with a knife. However, two of those officials said later in the day it was no longer clear what had happened. The third official had not received any new information.

• Hadith of the Day: Kindness Wipes Out Sin
  A man once came to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and asked what act of penitence he could perform for a sin he had committed. The Prophet asked the man if he had a mother. When the man replied that his mother had died, the Prophet asked if he had a maternal aunt. When the man replied that he had, the Prophet said: "Then be kind to her." Al-Tirmidhi
• Honoring Muslim American Veterans on Memorial Day
  Captain Khan and Ayman Taha are just two of the many Muslim Americans who have died fighting for the country that they love. In fact, the history of Muslim Americans' service in the United States armed forces goes back to the founding of the country in the American Revolution.
• CAIR-AZ Applauds Ruling on Sheriff's Racial Profiling
  CAIR-AZ welcomed a Friday ruling in U.S. District Court that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his deputies violated the civil rights of Latinos by racial profiling during raids and traffic stops.
• Video: CAIR Rep Tells BBC That Extremism Has No Place in Muslim Community
• CAIR-OK Leader Talks About Surviving the May 20 Tornado in Moore
  In the aftermath of the deadly storm that struck his neighborhood Monday, Saad Mohammad, director of Islamic news and information for the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City, said he and his family remain optimistic.
  • CAIR: Oklahoma Muslims Come to Aid Victims of Tornado
• CAIR-MN Welcomes Investigation Into Altercation Between Teacher, Student
  Concerned Somali community members reported the incident to CAIR-MN after two videos were posted online.
  • CAIR-MN: Anoka-Hennepin Investigating Classroom Altercation
    The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations released a statement Friday welcoming the school district's investigation.
• CAIR Urges 'Hijab-Friendly' Policies in U.S. Prisons
  CAIR is urging all local and federal U.S. prisons to adopt more "hijab-friendly' policies by allowing Muslim women to wear headscarves during their detention and in photos.
• Gitmo Guard Converts to Islam Because of Living Faith of Muslim Detainees
  Holdbrooks is part of a small, but growing, number of former Gitmo guards who are speaking out about conditions at the center. 
• A Region in Myanmar Limits Births of Muslims

• Toronto Rabbinical Board Raps Canada JDL for Geller Invite
  • Toronto Board of Rabbis Denounces Pamela Geller
• Muslim Teen Helps Vet Give Up Prejudice

CAIR Action Alert #694

Urge Pentagon to End Forced Feeding of Gitmo Hunger Strike Prisoners

(WASHINGTON, DC, 5/14/13) – Yesterday, the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) joined a coalition of 19 other civil liberties and human rights groups and health professionals in sending an open letter to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel requesting an end to the cruel practice of force-feeding hunger-striking prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. The coalition also called for an investigation into recent allegations of military retaliation against striking prisoners and related abuses.

At least 100 of the 166 prisoners are on hunger strike, many who have already been approved for release, with 29 men being force-fed against their will. Some of the men have been detained up to 11 years without charge or trial. Many prisoners are on strike and believe they will die in Guantanamo.

In its letter to Defense Secretary Hagel, the coalition reaffirmed that the process of force-feeding is fundamentally cruel, inhuman, degrading, and carries the risk of major infections, possible death, and psychological suffering.

The letter references the World Medical Association (WMA) Declaration of Malta on Hunger Strikers stating: "[F]orcible feeding is never ethically acceptable. Even if intended to benefit, feeding accompanied by threats, coercion, force or use of physical restraints is a form of inhuman and degrading treatment."

The American Medical Association, a member of WMA, and the International Committee of the Red Cross have similar positions on forced-feeding.

The coalition's letter also noted that:

"Force-feeding as used in Guantánamo violates Common Article 3 of the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, which bar cruel, humiliating and degrading treatment" and "could violate the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005, which prohibits the "cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment" of prisoners "regardless of nationality or physical location."

"[A]2006 joint report submitted by five independent human rights experts of the United Nations Human Rights Council (formerly the U.N. Commission on Human Rights) found that the method of force feeding. . .amount[s] to torture."

The conclusion of the coalition's letter to Hagel states:

"[W]e urgently request that you order the immediate and permanent cessation of all force-feeding of Guantánamo prisoners. . .We request that you allow independent medical professionals to review and monitor the status of hunger-striking prisoners. . .We also request that you investigate and rectify any abusive conditions and treatment in addition to force-feeding."

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED: 

CAIR has provided a similar "click and send" letter to Secretary Hagel for Americans who are concerned about the safety and rights of hunger-striking prisoners being indefinitely detained at Guantanamo Bay.

CLICK HERE.

For more information, contact CAIR Government Affairs Manager Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, E-Mail: rmccaw@cair.com 

• Hadith of the Day: The Keys to ParadiseThe Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once asked his companions: "Who has fasted today?. . .Who (took part in a funeral procession) today?. . .Who fed a poor (person) today?. . .Who visited an invalid today?" He then said: "Anyone in whom (these good deeds) are combined will certainly enter Paradise."
• CAIR-LA: Are Feds Unfairly Targeting Muslim Students Who Oppose Israel? (OC Weekly)
  "While the DOE should thoroughly look into civil rights complaints, these allegations cross the line between protecting civil rights and targeting certain political views," says CAIR-LA's lead staff attorney Ameena Qazi, who was featured on the cover of the Weekly's inaugural People issue earlier this year. "By not closing out these investigations, the DOE is undermining the university's responsibility to provide a safe space and equal opportunity for all students to engage in campus activism without fear of harassment or discrimination."
  • CAIR-SFBA: New Ads Claim Israeli 'Apartheid' Against Palestinians 
• CAIR-CA: Muslim Day at Capitol Promotes Local Issues (OC Register)
  Recently I was given the opportunity to join over 150 American Muslims from across California to participate in "Muslim Day at the Capitol," a statewide event organized by the California offices of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). From Anaheim to Sacramento, I traveled with more than 40 participants from CAIR's Greater Los Angeles area office.
• CAIR-FL Commends Fla. Senators Nelson, Rubio's Support for Syrian Aid
  The Florida chapter of The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) commends Florida Senators Bill Nelson (D) and Marco Rubio (R) for their "courageous" bipartisan support of SB 617, the 'Syria Democratic Transition Act of 2013." Florida was the only state to have both its senators act as sponsor and co-sponsor to this humanitarian aid bill.
• Oregon Mosque Arson Trial Still on Hold
  The trial for a man accused of firebombing a Corvallis mosque in 2010 continues to be postponed as his defense and federal prosecutors parlay over pre-trial motions.
  • Suspected Mosque Bomb Plotter to Live in VT 

• Anti-Islam Law Heads to NC House Floor
  
  • Muslims to Tea Party: Welcome to Our World
  • Islamophobes Discover Ludicrous 'Hospital Jihad' Plot
  • NY Newspaper Slams Islamophobe Pamela Geller
• CAIR-MI: Keep It Halal
  In one of the more unusual food items we've seen so far this year, the Dearborn Heights Police Department has agree to provide halal food to Muslims detained in their custody. The measure drew praise from CAIR-MI.

CAIR Action Alert #695:

Urge Senate to Include Anti-Profiling Protections in Immigration Reform Bill

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5-16-13) -- CAIR is urging voters to contact their representatives in the U.S. Senate to request that they include anti-profiling protections in the immigration reform bill (S. 744) currently under consideration in the Senate Judiciary Committee.  

CAIR action alert: Urge Senate to Include Anti-Profiling Protections in Immigration Reform Bill

Committee members have already introduced hundreds of amendments to the bill, some of which seek to add protections against law enforcement engaging in racial and religious profiling.

As reported in CAIR's recent assessment of the Senate immigration bill, Section 3305 of the act prohibits the blanket use of race and ethnicity by federal law enforcement, but fails to prohibit profiling based on religion or national origin and includes troubling exemptions in cases of national security and border protection. 

While a few positive amendments have already been adopted, like Senator Richard Blumenthal's (D-CT) amendment, which would prohibit the federal government from reimbursing state and local law enforcement agencies that engage in racial profiling and lawful conduct, a number of conflicting racial and religious profiling amendments will be voted on in the next two weeks.

Contact the Senate Judiciary Committee:

CAIR has provided a "click and send" letter addressed to the Senate Judiciary Committee for voters who want to demand an end to racial and religious profiling by law enforcement. CAIR's sign-on letter supports favorable amendments to the Senate immigration bill that seek to ban law enforcement profiling and opposes amendments that would seek to write such practices into law.

CAIR's letter supports Senator Mazie Hirono's (D-HI) amendment (Hinro19) that would prohibit Federal officers from using religion or national origin in making law enforcement decisions. The amendment also bans open-ended loopholes that permit profiling at the border and for reasons of national security.

CAIR's letter also supports Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Chris Coons' (D-DE) amendments, Blumenthal 8 and Coons 13, which would restrict Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from conducting enforcement at places of worship, schools, and other sensitive community locations.

CAIR's letter opposes Senator Jeff Sessions' (R-AL) amendment (Sessions 39), which would allow federal law enforcement to engage in racial and ethnic profiling, and Senator Grassley's (R-IA) amendment (Grassley 49), which would permit federal agents to profile on the basis of nation origin.

For more information, contact CAIR Government Affairs Manager Robert McCaw, Tel: 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com or CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com

• Anti-Islam Bills 'Allow People to Vilify Islam'
  When Oklahoma voters overwhelmingly approved a 2010 ballot measure that prohibits state courts from considering Islamic law, or Shariah, the Council of American-Islamic Relations filed a lawsuit within two days challenging the constitutionality of the measure, and won. ... "These bills don't have any real-world effect. Their only purpose is to allow people to vilify Islam," said Corey Saylor, CAIR's legislative affairs director, of the more recent bills. ... The driving force behind these new versions of anti-Shariah laws is "anti-Muslim bigotry plain and simple," said Daniel Mach of the ACLU. (Read more)
  • Report: Foreign Law Bans: Legal Uncertainties and Practical Problems
  • CAIR: A Brief Overview of the Pervasiveness of Anti-Islam Legislation
• CAIR-MO Action Alert: Ask Governor Jay Nixon to Veto Anti-Islam Bill 
• Blog post: CAIR's Vindication

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAIR to File Complaint Over MN Judge's Questioning on 'Sharia'

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/17/13) -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said today that it plans to file a complaint against a Minnesota judge who inappropriately questioned defendants on their religious beliefs and equated mainstream Islamic principles with terrorism.

Before sentencing two Muslim women to lengthy prison terms yesterday, U.S. District Judge Michael Davis asked each woman if she supported "jihad, suicide bombings and Sharia law." Judge Davis also asked, "Does she understand there are some Muslim women who wear dresses or short skirts?" Davis said he was trying to decide whether the defendants would "support terrorist causes" when they are released from prison. The questions reportedly drew audible reactions in a courtroom packed with Muslim spectators.

SEE: 2 Minnesota Women Sentenced in Somali Terror Case (MPR)

"It is misguided and unethical for a judge to reference an individual's general support of mainstream Islamic principles, known as Sharia, during sentencing to determine a defendant's future dangerousness," said CAIR Staff Attorney Gadeir Abbas. "By also linking modest dress to a propensity for violence, the judge revealed a disturbing bias that may have impacted his decisions in this case and his sentencing of the defendants."

Abbas said CAIR would file a complaint based on the Judicial Conduct and Disability Act of 1980, 28 U.S.C. §§ 351-364, and Rules for Judicial-Conduct and Judicial-Disability Proceedings, 248 F.R.D. 674 (2008).

He added that CAIR's complaint will not deal with the specifics of the cases or the charges against the defendants, but with the action of the judge in inappropriately questioning the defendants on their views about Sharia and modest attire, both of which are irrelevant to their cases.

SEE: Filing a Complaint of Judicial Misconduct

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.