Friday, August 30, 2013

MEDIA ADVISORY
CAIR-NY, Rights Groups to Seek DOJ Probe of NYPD 'Terror' Designation for Mosques 
Designation allowed NYPD to record sermons, spy on all worshipers, place informants on boards
(NEW YORK, N.Y., 8/28/13) -- Later today, the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY), along with other civil rights organizations, will hold a news conference on the steps of 1 Police Plaza to again call on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate reported violations ofthe constitutional rights of Muslims by the New York City Police Department (NYPD).
[NOTE: Co-sponsors of today's news conference include the Arab American Association of New York and the Muslim American Civil Liberties Coalition (MACLC).]
CAIR-NY and others will make that request following new revelations by The Associated Press (AP) that the NYPD "has secretly labeled entire mosques as terrorism organizations, a designation that allows police to use informants to record sermons and spy on imams, often without specific evidence of criminal wrongdoing."
WHAT: CAIR-NY, Rights Groups to Call for DOJ Probe of NYPD 'Terror' Designation for Mosques
WHEN: Wednesday, August 28, 2 p.m.
WHERE: Steps of 1 Police Plaza (NYPD Headquarters)
CONTACT: CAIR-NY Board Member Lamis Deek, 917-607-0072, CAIR-NY Office, 212-870-2002; CAIR Staff Attorney Gadeir Abbas, 202-742-6410, 720-251-0425, gabbas@cair.com
"The NYPD has proven itself unwilling or unable to respect the constitutional and religious rights of minorities, and it is now up to the Department of Justice to step in," said CAIR-NY Board Member Lamis Deek.
Deek noted other AP revelations about NYPD spying, including:
  • "Designating an entire mosque as a terrorism enterprise means that anyone who attends prayer services there is a potential subject of an investigation and fair game for surveillance."
  • "Many [spying operations] stretch for years, allowing surveillance to continue even though the NYPD has never criminally charged a mosque or Islamic organization with operating as a terrorism enterprise."
  • "The strategy has allowed the NYPD to send undercover officers into mosques and attempt to plant informants on the boards of mosques and at least one prominent Arab-American group in Brooklyn, whose executive director has worked with city officials, including Bill de Blasio, a front-runner for mayor."
  • "Before the NYPD could target mosques as terrorist groups, it had to persuade a federal judge to rewrite rules governing how police can monitor speech protected by the First Amendment."
In 2011, CAIR called on the DOJ to investigate apparent violations of the privacy rights of Muslim students by the NYPD and several colleges and universities. NYPD informants infiltrated Muslim student groups at local colleges and universities, monitored their Internet activity and placed undercover agents in their ranks. NYPD officers and several educational institutions may have also violated U.S. privacy laws by accessing and sharing students' records without warrants.
Based on concerns about the NYPD's "stop and frisk tactic" and its surveillance of Muslims, the New York City Council recently overrode mayoral vetoes to create a watchdog for the department and make it easier to file profiling lawsuits against it.
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 Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Manager Amina Rubin, 202-341-4171, arubin@cair.com
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CAIR ACTION ALERT:
ISNA Attendees: Tour CAIR's Capitol Hill HQ During Open House
Register for CAIR 19th annual banquet at ISNA booth

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 8/29/13) -- On Sunday afternoon (September 1), members of CAIR's board and senior staff will host an informal open house and offer tours of our Capitol Hill headquarters in Washington, D.C., for Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) conference attendees.
Don't miss this opportunity to talk with the founders of CAIR and get the inside stories behind some of our historic campaigns, key civil rights cases and a private tour of our office. Light refreshments will be served.

WHAT: CAIR Open House for ISNA Convention Attendees
WHEN: Sunday, September 1, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
WHERE: CAIR's Capitol Hill Headquarters, 453 New Jersey Avenue S.E., Washington, D.C. (CAIR's headquarters is located at the intersection of New Jersey Avenue S.E. and E Street S.E. The nearest Metro stop is Capitol South.)
CONTACT: RSVP required. Email events@cair.com or sign up at CAIR's booth (Booth Numbers 1008 and 1010) in the ISNA bazaar.

Those wishing to meet CAIR staff and take a tour of the national headquarters must sign up at CAIR's booth in the ISNA bazaar or RSVP to events@cair.com (include name and phone number) and then meet at our booth at 1 p.m. Sunday to be shuttled to CAIR's office.

Those taking their own transportation to the reception should arrive at 453 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, D.C., 20003, at 1:30 p.m.

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED:

1. Meet with CAIR's staff and tour our headquarters by signing up at CAIR's booth or by sending an RSVP to events@cair.com (include name and phone number) and then meeting at CAIR's ISNA booth at 1 p.m. Sunday, September 1 for the 10-minute ride to our Capitol Hill office for the 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. event.

2. Register online TODAY for CAIR's annual banquet on September 28 in Arlington, Va. Banquet tables for a family, business, mosque, or other group, can be reserved by calling 202-488-8787 or by emailing events@cair.com. Click here.

Space in the program book is available for advertisements to reach all banquet attendees. Email events@cair.com for a sponsorship form.

3. Register in person at CAIR's booth during the ISNA convention this weekend in Washington, D.C.

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, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Manager Amina Rubin, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com
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  • CAIR-OH Seeks Input on New Facial Recognition System
    Attorney General Mike DeWine's panel to review security protocols for Ohio's facial recognition system will start meeting Sept. 10 -- and two civil rights groups are not on it. The nine-member group includes former and current judges, a prosecutor, a sheriff, a police chief and a coroner, but DeWine did not grant the requests of the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio and the Council on American Islamic-Relations' Ohio chapter to join the commission ... CAIR Ohio's letter, dated Thursday, said the facial recognition software impacts Muslim religious communities in Ohio, especially people who wear religious head coverings. "We have already received calls and concerns about how this policy is impacting our constituents when they are getting their image taken at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles," the letter said.
    • CAIR-Ohio Media Contacts: CAIR-Cleveland Executive Director Julia Shearson, 216-830-2247,jshearson@cair.com; CAIR-Cincinnati Executive Director Karen Dabdoub, 513-281-8200;kdabdoub@cair.com; CAIR-Columbus Executive Director Hannah Tyler, 614-451-3232;htyler@cair.com
  • CAIR-FL: Military 'Debriefs' U.S. Citizens Returning From Syria (Tampa Bay Times)
    Hassan Shibly, executive director of the CAIR-Tampa, said federal agents, usually the FBI, often contact the Muslim community. But he said too often agents try to coerce someone to become an informant, sometimes by accusing them of lying to a federal agent. SOCom said it doesn't do that. Shibly said he urges Muslims to know their rights and insist that an attorney be present in interviews or that questions be given in writing. "If there is a reason to talk, we can work it out," Shibly said. "We don't have anything to hide."
  • Muslims Challenging U.S. 'No Fly' List Win Partial Court Victory (Reuters)
  • CAIR: NY Assemblyman Wants Al Jazeera America Dropped From Cable Packages (Audio)
  • Reminder: ISNA Attendees Invited to Tour CAIR's Capitol Hill HQ During Open House
    Also, please visit us at the ISNA bazaar at booths 1008 and 1010!
CAIR in the News Nationwide and Around the World



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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR Seeks Probe of Bias Motive for Vandalism of Idaho Muslim Business
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 8/26/13) -- 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 a possible bias motive for repeated acts of vandalism targeting a Muslim-owned business in Idaho.
Family members, who are Muslims of Middle Eastern background, say their restaurant has been vandalized at least four times in the last few months, the first two times with eggs thrown at the door. In the third incident, the word "murder" was written in the parking lot. On Sunday, a rock was thrown through the front door, shattering the glass. Boise police are investigating the incidents.
"The repeated nature of the incidents, coupled with the word 'murder' and the religious and ethnic background of the victims, requires that a possible bias motive be investigated," said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. "Too often, Muslims or those who are perceived to be Muslim are being singled out for discrimination and bias."
Hooper noted that CAIR will soon issue its annual report on Islamophobia, called "Legislating Fear: Islamophobia and its Impact in the United States." NOTE: To receive information about the release of CAIR's report, subscribe to CAIR's email list.
Last month, CAIR expressed solidarity with the Sikh community in California following an apparently bias-motivated attack on a Gurdwara, or Sikh house of worship.
The Washington-based civil rights group has called on local and national law enforcement authorities to investigate a possible bias motive for similar acts of vandalism targeting mosques nationwide.
In May, CAIR began distributing new safety and security guidelines to mosques and other houses of worship 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.
Community leaders may request a free copy of CAIR's "Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety."
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 Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Manager Amina Rubin, 202-341-4171, arubin@cair.com
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MEDIA ADVISORY
Muslims to Join 50th Anniversary March on Washington Rally
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 8/27/13) -- On Wednesday, August 28, join the CAIR team and fellow Muslims participating in the 50th Anniversary March on Washington Realize the Dream March & Rally. We will mark the 50th anniversary of 1963 March on Washington bywalking from the Georgetown University Law Center to the Lincoln Memorial where marchers will join the "Let Freedom Ring Commemoration & Call to Action" rally.
At the rally, marchers will hear President Barack Obama commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream Speech." Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter will also address the rally.
DATE: Wednesday, August 28, 2013
TIME: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
LOCATION: Meet at Georgetown University Law Center, 600 New Jersey Ave, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
CONTACT: CAIR Government Affairs Manager Robert McCaw, 202-716-6242, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR-MD Vice President Zainab Chaudry, zchaudry@cair.com, 410-971-6062; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com
Event's Facebook page
Activists from across the nation will meet in front of the Georgetown University Law Center at 8 a.m. to join the "March for Jobs and Justice." To meet with Muslim organizers, look for signs that read "Muslims for Jobs & Justice," "Muslims for the March" and "Muslim Support for 1965 Voting Rights Act."
At 9 a.m., veterans of the 1963 march will lead a 1.6-mile walk through downtown Washington, D.C., with many stops at historic sites, proceeding to the Lincoln Memorial.
For those unable to make the march, the "Let Freedom Ring Commemoration & Call to Action" rally at the Lincoln Memorial takes place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
American Muslims for the 50th Anniversary March on Washington Realize the Dream March Rally is supported by: Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), DC Muslim Caucus, Islamic Relief USA (IR USA), and Muslim American Citizens Coalition and Public Affairs Council (MACCPAC)
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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Action: Mark March on Washington Anniversary with Khutbas, Event Participation
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 8/21/13) -- CAIR today called on American Muslims and all those who seek justice and mutual understanding to mark the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington with khutbas (Friday sermons) examining the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and by taking part in local and national events marking the occasion.
Major events:
Please consider the following commentary for publication. Details below.
By Nihad Awad
Word Count: 624
In one of his most famous statements, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
On the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington, it is time to reflect on Dr. King's words and examine where we stand as a nation on the issues of justice and mutual understanding.
Dr. King's struggle for justice must be carried on by Americans of all faiths and backgrounds, because that is what he taught and demonstrated through his life's work.
Fifty years after the "I have a dream" speech, stubborn remnants of racism and bigotry linger in the forms of voter suppression campaigns, racial and religious profiling and the targeting of undocumented immigrants.
Dr. King's dream is deferred every time an American is discriminated against, profiled or mistreated because of the color of their skin, their faith, their gender, or their legal status.
Bigotry is also rearing its ugly head in a relatively new form, that of Islamophobia, the hatred of Islam and Muslims.
Islamophobia -- whether expressed in the form of unconstitutional anti-Islam bills introduced in state legislatures nationwide or spewed by anti-Muslim hate bloggers like Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer -- is just the latest manifestation of the same intolerance faced by Dr. King and other civil rights leaders of his time.
Like other forms of intolerance, Islamophobia is a threat to our nation's values and to the social tapestry that continues to draw people to our shores from every nation on earth.
As American Muslims join coalitions in defense of their rights and the rights of Americans of all backgrounds, we must learn from the words and experiences of Dr. King.
As he once said: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."
We must not let the poisonous views of Islamophobes and other bigots turn us away from a vision of America in which each person is judged not by the "color of their skin but by the content of their character."
In the Quran, Islam's revealed text, God tells us to "never let the hatred of others make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: (for) that is closest to piety." (The Holy Quran, 5:8)
We also see Dr. King's words reflected in those of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who said in his last sermon: "All humankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab. Also, a white person has no superiority over a black person, nor does someone who is black have any superiority over someone who is white -- except by piety and good action."
It is the content of our character and good actions that will serve as an example to this and future generations and that will shame and expose those who would label, demonize and marginalize anyone who does not fit their narrow definition of an American.
After 50 years, the Civil Rights Movement is at a crucial juncture. American Muslims are now part of that movement and we stand ready to do our part in the never-ending struggle for justice undertaken by Dr. King and men and women like him throughout our nation's history.
As long as the politics of fear and division is alive and well, the struggle must continue.
I urge all Americans to mark the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington by doing their part to make Dr. King's dream a reality. And I particularly urge American Muslims tojoin events marking the occasion and to examine the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement in mosque sermons and in their daily lives.
Nihad Awad is national executive director for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil liberties group. He may be contacted at nawad@cair.com 
ISLAM-OPED is a syndication service of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) designed to offer an American Muslim perspective on current political, social and religious issues. ISLAM-OPED commentaries are offered free-of-charge to one media outlet in each market area. Permission for publication will be granted on a first-come-first-served basis.
Please consider the following commentary for publication.
CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com


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Sunday, August 18, 2013

CAIR-FL: Why It's Vital to Get the Truth About Ibragim Todashev's Killing (The Atlantic)
The ACLU, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), and various newspaper editorial boards called for an independent investigation, in part because when the FBI investigates itself, its agents are basically always found blameless for fatal shootings.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR Asks Illinois Law Enforcement to Drop Anti-Muslim Trainer
(CHICAGO, IL, 8/15/13) -- The Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) today called on Illinois law enforcement authorities to drop Sam Kharoba, a notorious anti-Muslim bigot, as a counterterrorism trainer.
CAIR-Chicago asserts that Kharoba's training materials on Islam are riddled with inaccuracies, sweeping generalizations and stereotypes, that he is unqualified as a subject matter expert on either Islam or countering violent extremism and that his training has elicited disturbingly prejudiced responses from trainees.
"Counterterrorism training is too important to be left to those who promote a bigoted political or religious agenda," said CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab. "Our state's law enforcement agencies should work with credible leaders of the Muslim community to address any issues related to Islam."
Kharoba is scheduled to give a training session on "Islamist Terrorism" for North East Multi-Regional Training (NEMRT) beginning August 19 in Lombard, Ill. He will also train law enforcement personnel at the Highland Park and Elmhurst Police Departments. The Illinois Terrorism Task Force is funding the training through the Executive Institute of the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board.
CAIR-Chicago says a training manual Kharoba used in the past, "A Law Enforcement Guide to Understanding Islamist Terrorism," combines vile accusations against Islam, sweeping generalizations targeting all Muslims and factual inaccuracies.
The first chapter of Kharoba's training manual attacks the entire religion of Islam and attempts to prove, through selective evidence, that it is inherently violent. He writes: "Most of us have heard statements similar to 'Islam is a religion of peace' and that 'Muslim radicals hijacked, twisted and altered Islam to justify their Jihad against non-Muslims.' This book will provide definitive proof contradicting these statements and allegations."
In its 2011 investigative report, "How We Train Our Cops to Fear Islam," Washington Monthly quoted Kharoba: "'When I look at the life of Muhammad, I get a very nasty image,' said Kharoba ... 'And that is just to start off with. Anyone who says that Islam is a religion of peace,' he continued, 'is either ignorant or flat out lying.'"
In 2012, CAIR's Florida chapter asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to stop using Kharoba as a trainer.
An 80-page report by Political Research Associates (PRA), titled "Manufacturing the Muslim Menace: Private Firms, Public Servants, & the Threat to Rights and Security," details a systemic failure to regulate content in counterterrorism training.
CAIR has worked to oppose the use of biased and inaccurate materials in law enforcement and military training both at the national and state levels. The federal government undertook significant reforms in 2011 after revelations that some federal trainers incorporated anti-Islam prejudice, such as comparing the faith to the Death Star, in their trainings. 
CAIR's soon-to-be-released report, Legislating Fear: Islamophobia and its Impact in the United States, includes and extensive listing of known anti-Islam trainers.
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-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab, 202-870-0166, arehab@cair.com; CAIR National Legislative Director Corey Saylor, 202-384-8857, csaylor@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com
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