• Hadith of the Day: Remembering God Softens the Heart 
  The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "(Too) much talk without mention of God produces hardness of heart, and the person farthest from God is someone who has a hard heart." Al-Tirmidhi
  
• CAIR: Latino Muslims Feel Spied-On by NYPD 
  Wilfredo Amr Ruiz, legal counsel for the CAIR-Florida says there is still much to be done to stop the illegal monitoring of Muslims. Ruiz, of Puerto Rican descent and a Muslim chaplain, knows that the FBI continues to recruit informants, one of the most criticized practices of the unit. "We receive complaints from Muslims who have been offered money and/or threatened by the FBI to become informants." [The article is in Spanish]
  
• CAIR-Chicago: Des Plaines Library Stuck In Anti-Islam TiffThe fliers drew the attention of the Islamic Community Center of Des Plaines and the CAIR-Chicago. Both groups have asked the library to stop the event ... Ahmed Rehab, executive director of CAIR-Chicago, agreed the library was not the right place for ACT! to meet. "It's a safe haven for knowledge, education, and enlightenment," he said. "That place is now being tarnished."
  
  • CAIR Islamophobia Backgrounder: ACT! for America and 'Brigitte Gabriel'
    
• CAIR Urges Muslims to Ignore Terry Jones' Visit to Michigan
  Dawud Walid, executive director of CAIR-Michigan, said community leaders will be encouraging the same this year. "We're advising people in Dearborn and our constituents to stay away from that June rally of Terry Jones. We're not planning anything special for him," he said. Walid said Jones doesn't deserve the attention.
  
• CA: Local Muslim Families Push for Halal Food On School Lunch Menus
  Hundreds of local Muslim children are going home hungry from school every day and their parents say it's because they're not allowed to eat what's on the cafeteria menu.

COMMUNITY ADVISORY

CAIR-MN to Launch Free Monthly Legal Clinics

(MINNEAPOLIS, MN, 5/28/14) -- On Saturday, May 31, the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) will launch a new legal advocacy project called the Free Brief Advice Legal Clinic. The monthly clinics will provide free legal advice in areas such as civil rights, housing, family law, immigration, and employment.

WHAT: Free Brief Advice Legal Clinic
WHEN: Saturday, May 31st from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. and Wednesday, June 25, from 1 - 4 p.m. Future dates to be announced.
WHERE: Rondo Community Outreach Library, 461 N. Dale Street, St. Paul, MN

"It's important to give individuals access to attorneys so they can better understand and navigate through their legal issues," said CAIR-MN Civil Rights Attorney Ellen Longfellow. "We thank our Foundation partners for helping us better serve the community."

This clinic is made possible by the F.R. Bigelow Foundation, the Minnesota State Bar Foundation and the Hennepin County Bar Foundation.

Attorneys and law students interested in volunteering can contact CAIR-MN at info@mn.cair.com or 612-206-3360.

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties 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 -

CONTACT: CAIR-MN Civil Rights Attorney Ellen Longfellow, 612-206-3360, elongfellow@cair.com; Executive Director Lori Saroya, 612-327-6700, lsaroya@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com

---