• CAIR Statement in Response to Attack on Soldier in London"Anyone of any faith with a sense of humanity is repulsed by this brutal and cowardly murder. The American Muslim community condemns this senseless attack in the strongest possible terms..."
  
  • UK: Man Arrested Over Attack on Mosque
  • UK Man 'Attacks Local Mosque With Grenade' 
  • English Defence League Mobs March Against Islam
  • UK Muslim's Murder May Have Been Racially Motivated, Say Police

CAIR Action Alert #696:

Action: Request Free Copy of New CAIR Mosque Safety Guidelines
Donate to support distribution of 'Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety'

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/23/13) -- CAIR today announced distribution of new safety and security guidelines to mosques and other Muslim institutions nationwide.

The CAIR publication, "Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety," may also be ordered free of charge online by Muslim community leaders.

View the front cover and a sample page.

CAIR produced the new safety guidelines in response to recent bias attacks, including a series of incidents last year targeting American Muslim institutions.

Video: CAIR-San Diego Asks FBI Probe Threat Against Muslim School
CAIR: Mosque Attacks Common Nationwide

[NOTE: Just today, the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR.CAN)condemned an attempted arson targeting a Vancouver mosque.]

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 an introduction from CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad and 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.

"Muslim community leaders, like leaders of other faith communities, have a duty to do whatever they can to ensure public safety and security," said CAIR's Awad. "These important safety guidelines should be studied and implemented by everyone in a community leadership position."

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED:

1. Request a free copy of CAIR's "Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety"

2. Donate to support the publication's production and distribution.

BACKGROUNDER:

Last year, CAIR issued "Thirteen Days in Ramadan," a report on a spike in anti-mosque incidents that occurred in late August of 2012.

More recently, CAIR welcomed a 20-year jail sentence for the man who set fire to a Toledo, Ohio, mosque in September 2012.

The trial for a man accused of firebombing an Oregon mosque in 2010 has beenpostponed by pre-trial motions.

CAIR has responded to similar attacks on American mosques since its founding almost 20 years ago.

As early as 1994, a nearly completed mosque in Yuba City, Calif., burned to the ground in what was ruled an arson attack.

SEE: 1994 Calif. Mosque Arson Changed Community
CA: Documentary Explores Story of 1994 Yuba City Mosque Arson

In 1995, arson destroyed a Springfield, Ill., Islamic center. In 1996, a suspect was charged for involvement in an arson attack on a Greenville, S.C., mosque. In 1999, an arson attack severely damaged a Minneapolis, Minn., mosque. Also in 1999, a would-be terrorist was arrested after fleeing from the area of a mosque near Denver, Colo. The suspect's car was found to contain loaded weapons and bomb-making materials.

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.

CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Manager Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, arubin@cair.com