Wednesday, April 2, 2014

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  • Scam Alert: Beware of Callers Misrepresenting Themselves as Government Employees
    CAIR chapters continue to receive numerous complaints from community members who have received calls from individuals falsely claiming to be from the DHS, FBI and IRS.
    • Largest IRS Phone Scam Ever Targets Indian Americans
      Indian Americans and other South Asian Americans are being predominantly targeted by scam artists pretending to be Internal Revenue Service officials who threaten to send out an arrest warrant if money is not paid to them immediately over the phone, the Federal Trade Commission reported in a bulletin released Mar. 21.
  • TN GOP Event Speaker: U.S. Mosques are 'Terrorist Recruiting Stations'
    He's not anti-Islam, he said, and in fact likes to barbecue lamb for his Muslim friends. He's simply bringing to light documents proving that the nation's Islamic centers are terrorist recruiting stations and that America is in danger of falling under Shariah.
  • CA: Iraq Refugee Gunned Down For Looking Muslim
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR-San Diego Asks GOP Women's Group to Drop Anti-Muslim Speaker
(SAN DIEGO, CA, 3/30/14) – The San Diego chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-San Diego) today called on Navajo Canyon Republican Women (NCRW) to drop notorious Islamophobe James Horn as a speaker for the group's April 8 meeting.
Horn, who is scheduled to speak about "Bengazi and Islam in America," has called Islam a "cult, nothing more" and said terrorists are "honest" Muslims. He also stated that anyone who believes Muslims are not the "enemy" is "incredibly ignorant or a simple-minded fool." He criticizes Christian leaders for failing to deal with what he calls the "rapacious ideology of Islam."
In a twist on old anti-Semitic falsehoods, he claims "the Moslem lobby in the state houses and the White House" can "predetermine votes" and that Muslims "have thousands of bankers and lawyers increasingly in control of our everyday life" and have "infiltrated our government."

Video: GOP Women's Group Promotes Anti-Muslim Hate
"We urge Navajo Canyon Republican Women to recognize that they are promoting an individual who is recycling anti-Semitic lies to target American Muslims," said CAIR-SD Executive Director Hanif Mohebi. "We ask that instead of hate-mongers like James Horn, Republican groups invite speakers who will promote mutual understanding, not religious and ethnic hatred."
Earlier this month, CAIR called on the National Federation of Republican Women(NFRW) to end its support of anti-Muslim organizations and speakers. That call came following a letter it sent to NFRW leaders asking them to institute internal reforms to end the promotion of bigotry and after a number of events sponsored by NFRW affiliates that featured anti-Muslim speakers.
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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MEDIA ADVISORY

CAIR: Seattle Interfaith Leaders to Seek Probe of Imam's Forced Removal from Delta Flight
Incident part of nationwide trend of Muslim religious leaders being forcibly removed from flights

(SEATTLE, WA, 3/31/2014) – On Tuesday, April 1, the Washington state chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-WA), along with a group of pastors, rabbis, imams, and labor leaders, will hold a news conference to ask Delta Air Lines and the U.S. Department of Transportation to investigate the apparently bias-motivated removal earlier this month of a Seattle-area imam (Islamic religious leader) from a flight by Delta employees.

The imam, who is a Delta Platinum Elite member, was forced to disembark his flight and take another flight. He was reportedly informed by the Delta employee who escorted him off the plane that this was being done because a crew member judged "the way you used the restroom" to be "doubtful."

WHAT: Seattle Interfaith Leaders to Seek Probe of Imam's Forced Removal from Delta Flight
WHEN: Tuesday, April 1, 2014, 10:30 a.m.
WHERE: SeaTac International Airport, Delta Airlines Ticketing Area
CONTACT: CAIR-WA Executive Director Arsalan Bukhari, 206-367-4081 or 206-931-3655, abukhari@cair.com

"The Department of Transportation must investigate this shocking incident to hold Delta Air Lines accountable for discriminating against a respected religious leader," said CAIR-WA Executive Director Arsalan Bukhari. "Not all passengers who go to the bathroom get kicked off their flight, so Delta's discriminatory act was due solely to the imam's perceived racial, ethnic and religious affiliation."

Bukhari noted that there have been a number of similar incidents nationwide in which Muslim leaders and community members have been forcibly removed from airplanes after boarding due to their language, religious attire or appearance.

Video: Muslims Call Plane Incident Islamophobia
Video: Family in Muslim Clothing Ejected from Flight
Video: AirTran Apologizes to Muslims Kicked Off Plane

In 2011, CAIR and United Firm of Carolina Law (UFC Law) announced the filing of a lawsuit against Delta Air Lines and Atlantic Southeast Airlines for removing two imams from a flight to a conference on Islamophobia in Charlotte, N.C.

Video: Tenn. Muslim Leaders Sue Delta for Discrimination (CAIR)

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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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR-Ohio Urges Oberlin College to Investigate Anti-Muslim Arabic Lecturer
(CLEVELAND, OH - 4/1/14) -- The Cleveland chapter of the Council on Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland) today expressed concern about a lecturer in the Arabic language department at Oberlin College, Dr. Samir Amin Abdellatif, who openly promotes anti-Muslim bigotry and crude stereotypes of Muslims in his writings and on campus.
CAIR-Cleveland requested that the college "investigate the matter and take appropriate action based on the results of that investigation."
Abdellatif is the publisher of a 290-page tract that vilifies Islam and Muslims. His publication, entitled "The Unknown History of Islam," espouses outlandish conspiracy theories about the Muslim and promotes xenophobic views about Muslim immigration to the West.
In CAIR's letter to Oberlin College President Martin Krislov, CAIR-Cleveland Executive Director Julia A. Shearson outlined statements from Abdellatif's tract that characterize Islam as having "slowed down all advancement and progress of all the nations it set foot in."
The tract makes other false claims such as:
  • "Muslims would try to force their values and traditions on others callously. They would force their neighbors to cover their heads; otherwise they taunt them for not being modest; Muslim teachers would try to make their Christian students pray according to their Islamic religion."
  • "Islam is an ideology of control, not for human and brotherly love."
In her letter, Shearson wrote, "We believe the reputation of Oberlin College is tarnished and students are done a disservice by having an Arabic language instructor who openly promotes anti-Muslim bigotry and who condones crude and ugly caricatures of Muslims."
CAIR has also learned that Oberlin College is apparently relying on the testimony of Dr. Abdellatif in its current bid to remove Dr. Ali Yedes, a Muslim professor who is chairman of the Arabic language program. Oberlin's move comes on the heels of a discrimination casebrought against the college by Yedes.
In addition to overseeing the Arabic language program, Dr. Yedes serves as the Muslim religious life affiliate and is the advisor for the Muslim Students Association.
A long-time professor at Oberlin, Dr. Yedes, who practices a form of Sufism from his native country of Tunisia, is known as a moderate Islamic thinker. He has encouraged programs to increase dialogue on campus, including the promotion of an interfaith center in which the Torah and the Quran are both recited at the Jewish Sabbath services.
The Muslim Students Association, with Dr. Yedes as its faculty advisor, has a Hindu member of the Oberlin student body serving as president. Dr. Yedes is known for his promotion of interreligious understanding on campus.
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-Cleveland Executive Director Julia A. Shearson, 216.830.2247, jshearson@cair.com; CAIR-National Communications Director, Ibrahim Hooper, 202.488.8787, ihooper@cair.com 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR Asks ABC Family Channel for Meeting on 'Alice in Arabia' Stereotypes
(ANAHEIM, CA, 3/19/14) – The Greater Los Angeles-Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) said today that it has asked ABC Family Channel to meet with Muslim and Arab-American community leaders to discuss concerns about potential stereotyping in the pilot for a new series called "Alice in Arabia."
Media reports indicate that the pilot is "about an American teenage girl kidnapped by her extended royal Saudi Arabian family and forced to live with them."
In a letter sent on Tuesday to ABC Family Channel President Tom Ascheim, CAIR wrote in part:
"As the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, we are concerned about the negative impact this program could have on the lives of ordinary Arab-American and American Muslims."
CAIR-LA officials say they understand that the pilot's writer says the series is designed to "give Arabs and Muslims a voice on American TV" and has "noble intentions," but that community concerns brought to the civil rights organization should be addressed.
"We are concerned that, given media references to the main character 'surviving life behind the veil,' the pilot and any resulting series may engage in stereotyping that can lead to things like bullying of Muslim students," said CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush. "We urge ABC Family Channel to meet with representatives of the Muslim and Arab-American communities to discuss this important issue."
Ayloush noted that CAIR has in the past challenged actual and potential anti-Muslim stereotypes in productions such as "Executive Decision," "24," "The Siege," "True Lies," "Rules of Engagement," "Obsession," "The Third Jihad," "Jihad in America," and "The Sum of All Fears."
The Washington-based civil rights organization also acted as a consultant on films such as DreamWorks SKG's "Prince of Egypt."

CAIR is the nation'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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Man Threatens Staff at CAIR-Ohio Office
(COLUMBUS, OHIO, 3/19/14) – Earlier this afternoon, a man entered the office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Columbus, Ohio, walked down a hallway to the last office he found, and reportedly told an intern: "I'm going to take you all down. This whole place, this whole organization, I'm going to take you all down."He also allegedly stated: "I know what's going on here." After making his threat, the man walked out, slamming the exit door.
Police have been called to the scene.
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-OH Staff Attorney Romin Iqbal, 614-451-3232, 614-783-7953, riqbal@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com 
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR Seeks Bias Probe of Shots Fired Into Mississippi Mosque
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/20/2014) -- A prominent national Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization today called on state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate a possible bias motive for a shooting incident targeting a Mississippi mosque.
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said police are investigating a Tuesday incident in which several shots were fired into doors, windows and walls of the Islamic Center of Hattiesburg. Police are currently looking into the incident as an act of "malicious mischief," but CAIR is urging a probe of a possible hate motive.
"We have seen too many attacks on mosques nationwide to ignore the possibility of a bias motive for this shooting incident," said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper.
Hooper noted that CAIR's Washington state chapter recently held a news conference to ask the FBI to investigate apparently bias-motivated incidents targeting a mosque in that state.
Just yesterday, a man threatened staff at CAIR's Columbus, Ohio, office.
Also recently, CAIR's Sacramento Valley chapter called on state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate vandalism of a California mosque as a possible hate crime.
In December, CAIR urged a hate crime probe of graffiti sprayed on the Islamic Society of Appalachian Region near Princeton, W.Va. The graffiti spray-painted on the mosque and its sign made obscene references to "Allah," the Arabic word for God. Mosque members say the house of worship was similarly targeted following the 9/11 terror attacks.
CAIR recently welcomed an arrest in the case of a Joplin, Mo., mosque targeted by arson in 2012.
In response to previous attacks on American mosques, CAIR published a booklet called "Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety" 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.
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
CAIR recently published a major report, "Legislating Fear: Islamophobia and its Impact in the United States," which identifies 37 organizations dedicated to promoting the type of anti-Islam prejudice that can lead to bias-motivated incidents targeting American 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.
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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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BREAKING:
CAIR Welcomes ABC Family's Cancellation of 'Alice in Arabia'
(ANAHEIM, CA, 3/21/14) – The Greater Los Angeles-Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) tonight welcomed the decision by ABC Family channel to cancel plans to produce a pilot for a new series called "Alice in Arabia."
According to Variety:
"Just days after the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) expressed concerns over potential stereotyping in the pilot for ABC Family's 'Alice in Arabia' and requested a meeting with execs, the network has decided not to pursue the show that had been announced Monday."
Concerns about anti-Muslim and anti-Arab stereotypes were apparently confirmed with the release of a leaked copy of the pilot's script.
"We welcome ABC Family channel's decision to respond to community concerns by canceling plans for a program that had the potential to promote ethnic and religious stereotyping," said CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush. "We thank all those who voiced their concerns on this issue, and particular thanks go to the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and the Muslim Public Affairs Council."
Ayloush said CAIR-LA worked closely with both organizations in discussions with ABC Family channel. He also thanked the many activists who took to social media to voice their outrage using #AliceinArabia.
CAIR is the nation'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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  • Verse of the Day: Deeds of Righteousness
    "If anyone does deeds of righteousness -- be they male or female -- and have faith, they will enter Heaven, and not the least injustice will be done to them." The Holy Quran, 4:124
    • Hadith of the Day: The Keys to Paradise
      The 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." Sahih Muslim, Hadith 505
  • CAIR: 'Your Account is Closed' — Banking While Muslim in Minnesota (Daily Planet)
    The letters arrived at the end of a busy semester, the middle of summer, and even as recently as a few weeks ago, according to the Minnesota Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN). They notified Minnesota students, families, and business owners that their TCF Bank accounts would be closed. Despite the fact that none of the letters provided an explanation for the account's closure, TCF Bank maintains that they did not discriminate against their former customers. However, all of the account holders happened to have Muslim-sounding names.
    Since 2012, more than 30 bank accounts of Minnesota Muslims have been closed by TCF Bank. According to CAIR-MN, there are reports that account closures also are happening in other states.
  • CAIR: Fla. Official Denying Reports of Clearing FBI Agent Who Killed Muslim
  • CAIR-LA: ABC Family Scraps 'Alice in Arabia' Following Muslim Outcry (Hollywood Reporter)
    The recently ordered pilot came under fire from Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization Council on American-Islamic Relations and after Buzzfeed reported Friday it had obtained a script for the show, which is "about an American teenage girl kidnapped by her extended royal Saudi Arabian family and forced to live with them."
    CAIR said earlier this week that it had asked ABC Family to meet with leaders in the Muslim community to discuss "concerns about potential stereotyping in the pilot," and on Friday evening the network said it had nixed the pilot. . .
    Following ABC family's decision, CAIR expressed happiness in a statement issued early Saturday. "We welcome ABC Family channel's decision to respond to community concerns by canceling plans for a program that had the potential to promote ethnic and religious stereotyping," said CAIR executive director Hussam Ayloush.
  • MN: Ramsey County Jail Joins Hennepin in Allowing Hijab (Pioneer Press)-
    Although officials had been working on a policy for months, they made it official Thursday, shortly after the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office said that it would allow inmates to wear a hijab, the Muslim head scarf, or other religious headwear in jail, Gustafson said.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR Seeks Hate Crime Charges After Muslim Called 'Terrorist' at Calif. Costco
Man allegedly tried to hit woman with his car when she tried to take photo of license plate
(SACRAMENTO, CA, 3/24/14) – The Sacramento Valley chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SV), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights organization, today called on local law enforcement authorities to consider hate crime charges against a man who allegedly called a Muslim woman a "terrorist" and tried to hit her with his car.
According to the woman, who wears an Islamic headscarf (hijab), the incident took place on Saturday afternoon as she was loading her car with purchases from a Costco in Stockton, Calif. She reported to CAIR-SV that another car pulled into the parking space next to hers, and as a white male got out of his car, he shouted "terrorist" at her in a threatening tone. When she questioned whether he had just called her a terrorist, he allegedly replied, "Yes really, you terrorist! Go to hell!"
The woman went back into Costco to file a complaint. While she was waiting for security to arrive, the man came out of the store. As the woman tried to take a picture of his license plate for the police report, he backed quickly out of the parking space and allegedly tried to hit her with his car. She moved to the side of his car and he reportedly said to her, "What, do you want my name and number too so you can call CAIR because your feelings are hurt?" He then drove away.
The woman praised Costco staff for their actions in her defense.
"We urge local and state law enforcement authorities to conduct a thorough investigation of this troubling incident and to consider bringing hate crime charges against the alleged perpetrator," said CAIR-SV Executive Director Basim Elkarra."Those who target Americans because of their race or religion must feel the full weight of the law."
He noted that CAIR-SV recently called for a similar investigation of vandalism of a California mosque.
Elkarra added that just last week, CAIR called on state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate a possible bias motive for a shooting incident targeting a Mississippi mosque.
Earlier this month, a man threatened staff at CAIR's Columbus, Ohio, office.
CAIR's Washington state chapter recently held a news conference to ask the FBI to investigate apparently bias-motivated incidents targeting a mosque in that state.
In December, CAIR urged a hate crime probe of hate graffiti sprayed on the Islamic Society of the Appalachian Region near Princeton, W.Va.

Video: CAIR Asks FBI to Probe W. Virginia Mosque Vandalism as Hate Crime   
CAIR recently welcomed an arrest in the case of a Joplin, Mo., mosque targeted by arson in 2012.
In response to previous attacks on American mosques, CAIR published a booklet called "Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety" 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.
To request a free e-copy of CAIR's "Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety," CLICK HERE.
CAIR recently published a major report, "Legislating Fear: Islamophobia and its Impact in the United States," which identifies 37 organizations dedicated to promoting the type of anti-Islam prejudice that can lead to bias-motivated incidents targeting American 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.
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