• CAIR-FL: FIU's Muslim Students Found a Listening Device in Their Mosque
  The students quickly contacted Nezar Hamze, the regional operations director CAIR-Florida. Hamze says he contacted the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Department of Justice, and FIU's campus police. He also says he took the device to a spy store, where a clerk confirmed the gadget was the kind of expensive surveillance device used by the government.
  
• CAIR: A Small Town in West Virginia Responds to Anti-Muslim Sentiment (AJAM)
  Ibrahim Hooper, the national communications director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), disagrees with the sheriff's assessment. "This incident is absolutely a hate crime," he said. "You have people writing explicitly anti-Islam statements on a mosque."

MEDIA ADVISORY

U.S. Muslim Groups to Launch New Council with Political Census

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/10/14) -- On Wednesday, March 12, eight* major national American Muslim organizations will hold a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to announce the formation of the US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), an umbrella group that will serve as a representative voice for Muslims as that faith community seeks to enhance its positive impact on society.

The new national council's first priority will be to build on Muslim citizenship rights by conducting a census of American Muslims to create a database that will be used to enhance political participation in upcoming elections.

WHAT: Major National Groups to Announce Launch of US Council of Muslim Organizations
WHEN: Wednesday, March 12, 1 p.m. (Eastern)
WHERE: Murrow Room, National Press Club, 13th Floor, National Press Building, 529 14th Street N.W., Washington, D.C.
CONTACT: USCMO Secretary General Oussama Jammal, 708-288-1914, 202-683-6557, secretary_general@uscmo.org

In a statement prior to the planned launch, USCMO Secretary General Oussama Jammal said:

"A national council unifying Muslims in the United States has long been a dream of our community. The goal of the US Council of Muslim Organizations is to help strengthen relationships among the member organizations in order to better serve members of the Muslim community and all Americans.

"A detailed census will allow the larger Muslim community to better participate in our nation's political process."

* Organizations participating in the initial launch include: (More organizations may be added at a later date.)

• The Mosque Cares (Ministry of Imam W. Deen Mohammed)
• Muslim American Society (MAS)
• American Muslims for Palestine (AMP)
• Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
• Islamic Circle of North American (ICNA)
• Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA)
• Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA)
• Muslim Ummah of North America (MUNA)