CAIR ACTION ALERT #634 - TOP

Action: Ask Elected Officials to Condemn Violence in Egypt

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 2/2/11) –- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called on all people of conscience to contact their elected representatives and urge them to publically condemn the new violence targeting peaceful freedom protesters in Egypt.

[NOTE: There are many pro-freedom events nationwide in the next few days. Contact a local mosque or Islamic center for more information. You may also contact the nearest CAIR chapter by going to: http://www.cair.com/Chapters.aspx ]

SEE: World Leaders Denounce Attacks on Egyptian Protesters

Apparently government-backed armed gangs today attacked pro-democracy protesters leaving at least one person dead and hundreds injured. Human rights groups say the overall death toll from recent unrest in Egypt is as high as 300.

EGYPT: Rights Advocates Report Protest Death Toll as High as 300

"Our nation's elected officials should speak out against any violent actions targeting those who are currently seeking their own version of ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness' in Egypt," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. "America must be seen to be on the side of ordinary people in Egypt and worldwide who are seeking the freedom we hold so dear."

Awad welcomed President Obama's statement yesterday that an "orderly transition" of power must be peaceful and "must begin now."

SEE: Obama to Mubarak: Orderly Transition 'Must Begin Now'

IMMEDIATE ACTIONS REQUESTED:

1) Contact your elected representatives to ask that they condemn the new violence targeting peaceful freedom protesters in Egypt.

GO TO: http://www.congress.org/

On the right-hand side of the page, enter your ZIP code. On the resulting page, click the names of your elected representatives. Click the "contact" tab on the resulting page for your officials' phone numbers.

You may also contact the Capitol Hill Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 (have your Zip code ready).

2) Contact President Obama to express support for his call for an immediate transfer of power in Egypt.

President Barack H. Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
Fax: 202-456-2461
E-Mail: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Copy to: info@cair.com

3) Contact the State Department and ask for the relevant country "desk" such as the "Egypt Desk."

State Department Switchboard: 202-647-4000

4) Write editorials and letters to the editor and submit them to your local newspaper or publish them on your blog, Twitter or Facebook account. Send copies to info@cair.com.

5) Pup your cell phone to good use. Call your friends and family members and ask them to contact their elected officials. Act as a facilitator. You can enter their ZIP code into the congress.org website and help them get the phones numbers they need to call.

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STUDY: TERRORISM BY MUSLIM-AMERICANS DOWN IN 2010 - TOP

Read the report.

CHAPEL HILL, NC: A new study released today by the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security shows that the number of Muslim-Americans who perpetrated or were arrested for terrorist acts declined sharply in 2010. The study, "Muslim American Terrorism Since 9/11: An Accounting," reports that while 47 Muslim-Americans committed or were arrested for terrorist crimes in 2009, the number dropped to 20 this past year.

The author of the study, Charles Kurzman, Professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, said, "Of course, even a single terrorist plot is too many. But this trend offers a challenge for the American public: If we ratchet up our security concerns when the rate of terrorism rises, should we ratchet down our concerns when it falls?"

The study also reported that:

• The number of Muslim-Americans engaged in terrorist acts with domestic targets declined from 18 in 2009 to 10 in 2010.
• 75% of the Muslim Americans engaged in terrorist plots in 2010 were disrupted in an early stage of planning. This is consistent with the pattern of disruption since 9/11 (102 of 161 plots – 63% -- were disrupted at an early stage of planning).
• Less than one-third of the perpetrators did not come to the attention of law enforcement until after an attack was executed. However, a large majority of these Muslim American terrorist activities (35 out of 46 individuals) took place outside the United States.
• Domestic plots by Muslim-Americans are more likely to be disrupted than foreign plots. 48 of 69 individuals that plotted against domestic targets were arrested at an early stage of their activities.
• Eleven Muslim Americans have successfully executed terrorist attacks in the United States since 9/11, killing 33 people. This is about 3 deaths per year. There have been approximately 150,000 murders in the United States since 9/11. According to the FBI there were approximately 15,241 murders in the United States in 2009.
• Tips from the Muslim American community provided the source of information that led to a terrorist plot being thwarted in 48 of 120 cases involving Muslim Americans.

David Schanzer, Director of the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security, said, "this study puts into perspective the threat presented by domestic radicalization of Muslim Americans." Schanzer noted, "Is this a problem that deserves the attention of law enforcement and the Muslim American community? Absolutely. But Americans should take note that these crimes are being perpetrated by a handful of people who actions are denounced and rejected by virtually all the Muslims living in the United States."

The author of the report, Charles Kurman, can be reached at kurzman@unc.edu

The Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security is a consortium between Duke University, the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and RTI International.

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GROUPS SLAM ISLAM HEARINGS AS MODERN-DAY MCCARTHYISM - TOP
Politico, 2/2/11

A band of civil-rights, community and faith groups called Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) a modern-day Joe McCarthy in a letter to House leaders, for his plans to single out Muslims during hearings later this month on extremism which will examine the "radicalization of Islam."

In a letter to House Speaker John Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, along with 50 groups that co-signed, demanded that King, the chair of the House Homeland Security committee, tone down his rhetoric and hold "fair and objective" investigations that examine "all forms of violence motivated by extremist beliefs."

"Singling out a group of Americans for government scrutiny based on their faith is divisive and wrong," the groups wrote in the letter. "These hearings will almost certainly increase widespread suspicion and mistrust of the American Muslim community and stoke anti-Muslim sentiment." (More)

SEE ALSO:

CRITICS RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT HOUSE HEARINGS ON MUSLIMS - TOP
DANIEL BURKE, Religion News Service, 2/1/11

WASHINGTON (RNS) -- A coalition of more than 50 Muslim, human rights, and faith organizations is urging House leaders to raise concerns about planned hearings this month on the "radicalization" of American Muslims.

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, plans to focus his hearing on homegrown terrorism, including the Fort Hood shooting and attempted Times Square bombing, both plots hatched by American-born Muslims.

King has accused U.S. Muslim leaders of failing to cooperate with law enforcement officials and said that 80 percent of American mosques are run by extremists, a figure that Muslim leaders and scholars sharply dispute.

"Singling out a group of Americans for government scrutiny based on their faith is divisive and wrong," the coalition wrote in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

The 51-member coalition includes Amnesty International USA, the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, and the Interfaith Alliance, as well as dozens of local and national Muslim groups.

"I don't believe it warrants an answer," King said of the letters. "I am too busy preparing for the hearings." (More)

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CAIR-FL: TEA PARTY CONGRESSMAN CLASHES OVER ISLAM AT TOWN HALL - TOP
Jim Acosta and Evan Glass, CNN, 2/1/11

Boynton Beach, Florida (CNN) -- Freshman Republican Congressman Allen West clashed with an advocate for Muslim-American civil rights at a sometimes-rowdy town hall meeting Monday night.

The tense exchange drew boos from a standing room only, largely Republican crowd.

The confrontation came as West, an Iraq War veteran who was backed by the Tea Party in last November's election, took questions from constituents. Nezar Hamze, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Miami, stepped to the microphone and accused West of making anti-Muslim comments in the past.

"Me and my children choose to follow the faith of Islam. You consistently insult it. How can we expect you to defend our right and practice Islam as far as the Constitution is concerned?" Hamze asked. (More)

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CAIR-FL: GOP REP. ALLEN WEST DRAWS FIRE FOR MUSLIM COMMENTS - TOP
Catalina Camia, USA TODAY, 2/2/11

Remember the name Allen West when the 2012 congressional elections are in full swing.

The Florida Republican has been in office for less than a month and already he's on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's target list, taken aim at a colleague who is Muslim and had a confrontation over the Islamic faith at a standing-room-only town hall meeting.

West, a retired Army colonel who served in Iraq, got into a confrontation Monday night with the Miami leader of the Council of American-Islamic Relations. Nezar Hamze accused West of making anti-Muslim statements in the past, saying West has "consistently demonized and insulted my religion." (More)

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RELIGIOUS LEADERS DEMAND APOLOGY FROM WEST FOR ANTI-ISLAM COMMENTS -TOP
Sarah Posner, Religion Dispatches, 2/2/11

An interfaith group of religious leaders has sent a letter to freshman Republican Allen West of Florida, calling him to apologize for anti-Islam remarks he made recently on an episode of "The Shalom Show."

On the program, he said that his congressional colleague Keith Ellison, who is one of two Muslim members of Congress, is the "antithesis of the principles on which this country was established."

The signatories to the letter include the Rev. Welton Gaddy, President of the Interfaith Alliance; Rabbi Jack Moline, Director of Public Policy for The Rabbinical Assembly; Rabbi David Saperstein, Director and Counsel of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, and the Rev. J. Brent Walker, Executive Director, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. (More)

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CA: MUSLIM ACTIVISTS TAKE GRIEVANCE TO O.C. SUPERVISORS - TOP
Brian Martinez, The Orange County Register, 2/2/11

SANTA ANA – About 25 community leaders, students, educators and residents on Tuesday took their grievances against the District Attorney's recent handling of a year-old, racially charged incident at UC Irvine to the Orange County board of supervisors.

The activists oppose the grand jury's recent subpoenas that forced six of the students arrested in the incident to testify before the panel as well as the potential criminal indictments that might be forthcoming. The subpoenas were issued just a few weeks before the one-year statute of limitations expires on the Feb. 8 arrests. (More)

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CHICAGOAN AHMED REHAB PROVIDES AN UPDATE FROM CAIRO - TOP
WBEZ, 2/1/11

Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets across Egypt today in the largest demonstration yet. Estimates fluctuate between one and two million people. Though the exact number is uncertain, the demand for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office is clear. Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago chapter for the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), spent the day in Cairo's Tahrir Square, site of one of the largest gatherings. He tells us about the peaceful day of celebration.

Listen to the Story

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ST. LOUIS-AREA SOMALIS FEEL INTIMIDATED BY FBI - TOP
Phillip O'Connor, Post-Dispatch, 2/3/11

On the same November day that federal authorities arrested an airport cabdriver and accused him of supporting a Somali terrorist organization, the FBI cast a wider net.

Agents descended on Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, where over two days 25 to 50 other cabdrivers, all refugees from Somalia, were summoned to the airport police office. One by one, they entered small rooms where FBI agents waited. A series of questions followed: ...

But Jim Hacking III, a legal consultant to the local chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, believes that trust is fading. Hacking once worked closely with the FBI in its outreach efforts to Muslims. When the FBI put out a bulletin that warned al-Shabaab might try an attack in the U.S. timed to the presidential inauguration, Hacking helped the FBI with a request to locate several local Somalis.

As word of the airport interviews spread that day, some drivers called Hacking, an immigration attorney who had represented them in their citizenship cases or had sat in with them during previous voluntary FBI interviews.

Hacking tried to contact an FBI agent at the scene. Despite what he thought was a good relationship, his messages went unanswered.

At a minimum, the drivers should have had a chance to contact a lawyer, he said.

"They knew if a lawyer was there, no one would be handing over (telephone memory) cards and personal computers," Hacking said.

He believes the drivers' civil rights were violated.

"These people come from a country where you don't have the choice to deal with law enforcement," Hacking said. "You do it or you get thrown in jail. I don't know how sophisticated these people were and how free they felt in responding to pretty strong-arm tactics."

The incident left Hacking less inclined to urge cooperation.

"I take the position now, you're a fool to talk to the FBI without an attorney," he said. "I recognize they have a difficult job to do. I just think the way they are doing it is backwards. You can't build bridges at the same time you're scaring ... people." (More)

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CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS MAY INFLAME ISLAMOPHOBIA - TOP
Rep. Peter King to Hold House Hearings on 'Radicalization' of Muslim Americans
By Sally Steenland, American Progress, 2/3/11

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) plans to hold hearings this month in the U.S. House of Representatives on his inflammatory charges about "radicalized Muslims" in America. According to King, 80 percent of mosques in this country are controlled by radical imams--including the Long Island mosque in his district that he regularly used to visit. King also believes that Muslim Americans are unpatriotic and that they don't cooperate with law enforcement in identifying extremists in their communities.

King's blanket condemnation of a diverse religious community flies in the face of facts. According to recent statistics, Muslim-American communities have helped prevent more than one-third of Al Qaeda terrorist plots in the United States since 9/11. Furthermore, a study by Duke University and the University of North Carolina last year found that community mosques actually deter radicalization and extremism through a range of efforts such as publicly denouncing violence, confronting extremists, providing programs for youth, and cooperating with law enforcement. And a study released yesterday showed terrorist attempts by Muslim Americans significantly declined last year. The study further said tips from Muslim-American communities provided information that thwarted terrorist plots in 48 of 120 cases involving Muslim Americans.

King's slanderous talk ignores the millions of hardworking, law-abiding Muslims in this country. Muslims have been part of America since before we were a nation, have fought in every war (including the Revolutionary War), and are an integral part of the vibrant mosaic that makes us who we are. Muslim Americans participate in virtually every sector of society and engage in interfaith efforts that bring together Christians, Muslims, and Jews to work for the common good. The fact that Muslim Americans strongly denounce terrorism, prove their patriotism, and serve their communities and nation every single day has been demonstrated in ways large and small.

Yet anti-Muslim hateful speech still thrives. Anti-Muslim hate crimes are on the rise as well. Last month police in Michigan arrested a man who was planning to blow up the Islamic Center for America, located in Dearborn. The mosque had been threatened and vandalized before, as have scores of other mosques, Islamic community centers, and individuals who are Muslim American.

Such actions and hate speech are a shameful reminder of past discrimination and intolerance, when Catholics, Jews, Mormons, and others were persecuted for their beliefs. (More)

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COALITION URGES HALT TO HOUSE HEARINGS ON MUSLIM RADICALIZATION - TOP
Religious and civil rights groups say the hearings headed by Republican Rep. Peter T. King will demonize Muslim Americans. King remains unmoved.
By Richard A. Serrano, Los Angeles Times, 2/3/11

A coalition of 51 religious and civil rights groups is calling on congressional leaders to stop upcoming hearings on Muslim extremism in the U.S. or have the investigation refocused to include other hate groups.

The coalition, working with the San Francisco-based Muslim Advocates legal organization, said the March hearings led by Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.), chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, would demonize Muslim Americans and persuade many of them not to cooperate with police.

"Our first preference is for him to kibosh the whole thing," Farhana Khera, executive director of Muslim Advocates, said Wednesday. "As it is framed now, the hearings are targeting an entire faith community, and that's not a proper exercise of congressional authority."

The ranking Democrat on the panel, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson of Mississippi, wrote to King on Tuesday suggesting that he broaden the scope of the investigation to look at other violent groups, such as neo-Nazi organizations.

"In the final analysis," he told King, "the ideology of a bomb-maker matters less than the lethal effects of his creation."

But King remained unmoved. Asked whether he would respond to a letter Muslim Advocates sent to House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), King said: "I don't believe it warrants an answer ... . I am too busy preparing for the hearings." (More)

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ALLEN WEST'S COMMENTS ABOUT ANOTHER CONGRESSMAN'S RELIGION STIR CONTROVERSY - TOP
Jaweed Kaleem, Miami Herald, 2/3/11

Allen West has declared he's "neither anti-Muslim nor anti-Islam" in response to a group of national Jewish and Christian organizations that have called on the controversial congressman to apologize for remarks he made about a fellow member of Congress.

Leaders of the Interfaith Alliance, the Rabbinical Assembly, the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism and the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, said in a letter to the Broward Republican that he has a "tendency to offer intemperate comments about Islam" that "intensify an unsettling trend of anti-Muslim rhetoric and fear.''

The letter cites a recent interview on the Shalom Show in which West responds to a question about Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., and his Islamic religion, by saying that Ellison "represents the antithesis of the principles on which this country was established."

"We urge you not to use the prestige of your position in the U.S. House of Representatives to proselytize for one religion or demonize another," the letter says ... .

And he says his comments were not directed at Ellison's religion but his support of theCouncil on American-Islamic Relations, a national Islamic civil liberties organization that West suggests is a group that may "masquerade as more peaceful moderates."

The Palm Beach Post reported that West clashed with the South Florida director of CAIR, Nezar Hamze, at a town hall meeting in Boynton Beach on Monday. At the meeting, Hamze told the congressman that he has "consistently demonized and insulted my religion." (More)

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SOUTH DAKOTA CONSIDERING SHARIAH BAN - TOP
South Dakota Considering Ban on Courts Using "Foreign Religious or Moral Code"
Submitted by Brian on January 31, 2011

In states like Wyoming and South Carolina, numerous state legislators are proposing measures to limit the application of "international" or "religious" laws in the court. An amendment that "forbids courts from considering or using international law" and "Sharia Law" passed easily in 2010, only to be blocked by a federal judge.

Now, it appears South Dakota is jumping on the bandwagon. The Republican-dominated State Legislature is considering House Joint Resolution 1004, which similar to the South Carolina resolution, uses broad language and does not explicitly mention Sharia law: (More)

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ANTI-SHARIAH PROPOSAL IN ARKANSAS? - TOP
Andrew DeMillo, AP, 2/2/11

An Arkansas lawmaker proposing to bar state courts from relying on international law said Wednesday she'll rework her bill to address concerns that it would hurt businesses that work with companies from other countries. (More)

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FREE THE IRVINE 11 - TOP
UC Irvine suspended the Muslim Student Union after several members disrupted a speech by the Israeli ambassador. The district attorney's involvement at this stage is simply overkill.
Los Angeles Times editorial, 2/3/11

When Michael Oren, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, was invited to UC Irvine last February to speak on the subject of U.S.-Israeli relations, members of the Muslim Student Union, a campus group, decided to protest his presence. They did so by repeatedly disrupting his speech -- about a dozen times, standing up one by one to shout anti-Israel slogans until each was removed from the room.

The behavior of the students was wrong. They could have held up signs or distributed leaflets or chanted slogans outside the lecture hall, but they should not have tried to shut down the event by making it impossible for Oren to speak. Protesters have the right to voice their objections in many ways, but not to silence those they disagree with. This principle is especially important at a university, which exists, in part, to promote the free exchange of ideas.

The students were removed from the hall by police. Eleven were arrested and cited for "disturbing a public event," although they were not criminally charged at the time. After an investigation, which found that the Muslim Student Union had planned the protest and subsequently conspired to deny its involvement, university officials suspended the group for an academic quarter.

That seemed reasonable. There was some dispute over whether it was the group that should have been punished or the individuals involved, but discipline of some sort was in order. The suspension ended last month; the group remains on probation.

Now, however, as the anniversary of the Feb. 8 fracas approaches, the Orange County district attorney's office is apparently considering bringing criminal charges against the students before the deadline to do so expires. A grand jury in Orange County has been hearing testimony.

Criminal charges, however, are not appropriate. They would be overkill, a punishment out of proportion to the offense. Is it really necessary to threaten the futures of students who engaged in a nonviolent protest that didn't, ultimately, stop Oren from delivering his remarks? These students have been punished already, in an effort to make clear the difference between legitimate protest and their unacceptable actions. We hope they've learned a lesson. Now it's time to move on.

STATE BILLS ARE THINLY-VEILED ATTACKS ON U.S. MUSLIMS - TOP
Legislation Tries to Bar Foreign Influence
Critics say bills target Muslims
By Stephen Largen, GoUpstate.com, 2/4/11

Legislation recently introduced in both houses of the S.C. General Assembly by a pair of Upstate legislators seeks to bar international law from being applied in state courts, making the Palmetto State one of a half dozen states considering similar bills.

Critics of the bills in South Carolina and other states have assailed the legislation as thinly veiled attacks on Muslims, describing the bills as careful re-wordings of an amendment to Oklahoma's constitution barring state judges from considering Islamic law.

That amendment passed overwhelmingly in November, but a federal judge has since issued an injunction temporarily blocking it from going into effect.

The sponsor of the Senate version of South Carolina's bill, Sen. Mike Fair, R-Greenville, said Thursday that while he is not aware of any cases of foreign law being used in a South Carolina court, his bill is nonetheless necessary in order to prevent any potential future application of foreign law. ...

'Wink and a nod'

Ibrahim Hooper, a national spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the South Carolina bills and others in Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Nebraska and Wyoming are targeting Muslims even though the bills do not specifically reference Islamic law.

"It's all with a wink and a nod," Hooper said.

"We all know what it's about. What we're seeing nationwide is an effort to stigmatize Muslims with the use of these bills."

Hooper said some of the bills "seem meaningless" because of "watered-down language."

Nonetheless, his group plans to mount legal challenges to the bills should they advance, he said. (More)

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CAIR: NEW FLA. REP. 'EMBARRASSED' BY OWN ANTI-ISLAM RHETORIC - TOP
Billy House, National Journal, 2/4/11

Tea party-backed freshman Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., is denying allegations that some of his recent remarks about a congressional colleague were anti-Islam and anti-Muslim. In an interview in January, West described Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn.--the first Muslim ever elected to Congress--as the "antithesis of the principles upon which this country was established."

Many people found the remark offensive, particularly since West has become one of the more prominent faces of the tea party movement, which has had to deal with a few episodes of religious and racial intolerance in its ranks. Several religious groups this week wrote a letter to West chastising him for the remark, saying that he should not use his public position to "proselytize for one religion or demonize another."

On Thursday, West fired back, clarifying but not apologizing: "My comments in regard to my colleague, Representative Keith Ellison, are not about his Islamic faith, but about his continued support for CAIR," the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

That organization, writes the congressman, is among groups that "have long histories of supporting violent anti-American and anti-Israel terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood." They operate "within our borders" and "masquerade as more peaceful moderates," while posing threats to the United States, writes West of such organizations.

There was no immediate response from Ellison's office to West's letter, posted on West's congressional website.

CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper on Thursday dismissed West's depiction of his organization. Rather, he said West is trying to deflect his own embarrassment over disparaging a fellow House member and his finding out that "the old hate rhetoric that played to the base before he was elected doesn't sound as good once in office, representing people."

"We often see that with these Muslim bashers," added Hooper. "When they get called out in a way that is embarrassing for them, they say, 'No! No! No! I meant radical Islam.' Their target keeps shifting."

This controversy erupted late last month when West was interviewed on a South Florida-based program on which he was asked how he'll manage in Congress associating with Islam supporter Ellison. (More)

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EX ARK. GOP OFFICIAL SAYS 'PRO-WHITE' GROUP BLOCKS 'ISLAMIC TAKEOVER' -TOP
Ex Ark. GOP official won't quit 'pro-white' group
Jeannie Nuss, Associated Press, 2/4/11

"It's the only organization in the United States that's actually actively -- internationally and in this country -- trying to save this country from communism, socialism and the Islamic takeover of this world," he said. (More)

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RUTGERS LAW SCHOOL CONFERENCE EXPLORES LEGAL IMPACT OF 9/11 ATTACKS -TOP
Kelly Heyboer, The Star-Ledger, 2/4/11

Ten years later, the 9/11 attacks are still raising complex legal questions. Rutgers School of Law-Newark opened a two-day conference at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark today exploring the lingering legal issues surrounding the terrorist attacks.

Nearly 150 scholars, students and attorneys are scheduled to attend the event, which organizers said is the first academic conference of its kind to document how 9/11 continues to change the law. ...

Today's sessions included panels on presidential power, prisoner detention and Congress' role in national security. Speakers included former U.S. Department of Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff and James Yee, the Army chaplain at Guantanamo Bay who was cleared of spying charges in 2004. (More)

[Note: James Yee is Executive Director of the New Jersey chapter of CAIR.]

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ARAB AND MUSLIM HATE CRIMES EXAMINED - TOP
USF and SUNY-Albany researchers explored the post-9/11 spike in hate crimes, but found some curious results.
USF.edu News, 2/4/11

TAMPA. Fla. (Feb. 1, 2011) – In the weeks and months following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, hate crimes against Arab and Muslim-Americans spiked. However, hate crimes against other groups decreased during this time, says a newly published article authored by researchers at the University of South Florida and the State University of New York at Albany.

"Hate Crimes against Arabs and Muslims in Post-9/11 America," appearing in the February issue of Social Problems, reveals that, concurrent to the dramatic rise in hate crimes against Arab and Muslim-Americans in the wake of 9/11, the incidence of hate crimes against blacks, whites, Asians, and Latinos fell.

The team of sociologists, led by USF Associate Professor James Cavendish and doctoral student Ilir Disha and associate professor Ryan King from SUNY-Albany conclude that "9/11 created a climate in which many Americans felt united against a 'new enemy' and in which acts of hatred against Arabs and Muslims became 'normalized' behaviors." ...

The full report, Historical Events and Spaces of Hate: Hate Crimes against Arabs and Muslims in Post-9/11 America, is available athttp://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/10.1525/sp.2011.58.1.21.pdf?acceptTC=true.

Media contact: Barbara Melendez can be reached at 813-974-4563. (More)

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CAIR-LA: IN DEFENSE OF UCI MUSLIM STUDENT UNION MEMBERS - TOP
Orange County Register 2/4/11

Editor's note from Letters Editor Betty Talbert: The Register received this open letter to O.C. District Attorney Tony Rackauckas from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Greater Los Angeles Area (CAIR) about the district attorney bringing criminal charges against members of UCI Muslim Student Union who protested against Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren's speech at UCI, Feb. 8, 2010. For a refresher on the context of this letter see (video of the UCI incident) and see the recent Register article, [Feb. 2] "Muslim Activists protest handling of UCI incident." The organizations supporting the position taken in this letter appear at the end of the statement.

Feel free to write your pro-con thoughts about the controversy in our comments section.

Dear Mr. Rackauckas:

It is with deep concern that we, Orange County community religious and civic leaders, write to you regarding the pursuance of felony criminal charges against students who verbally protested a speech by Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) in February of 2010. (More)

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CAIR DIRECTOR: 'EGYPT NEEDS IMMEDIATE CHANGE' (VIDEO) - TOP
Press TV, 2/3/11

Watch the video.

After 10 days of nationwide protests, Egyptians are still demanding that President Hosni Mubarak step down by Friday, while the Muslim world is standing strong in support of the Egyptian people.

Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Nihad Awad, joined Press TV to offer more insight into the developments.

Press TV: We are now joined by Nihad Awad, who is the Executive Director on the Council of American-Islamic Relations. He joins us via satellite from Washington. Mr. Awad, thank you for joining our broadcast. Your organization recently put out in action alert for people to appeal to their elected representatives, to ask for freedom, democracy and the rule of law in Egypt and throughout the Middle East. Are you confident that this will make a difference?

Awad: Of course it does. We are just adding our voice to the voices of so many people in the United States and around the world, but most of all to the voices of people in Egypt who have been calling for a possible peaceful change and that aspiration is well respected and we feel it's our moral duty as a human and civil rights organization in the United States to add our voice and do anything and everything we can do in our power to show them that we are on their side, not only here in the US far away but people all over the world. (More)

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CAIR-SACRAMENTO: RALLY SET TO SHOW EGYPTIAN SUPPORT - TOP
Cathy Locke, Sacramento Bee, 2/4/11

A news conference and rally are planned today by groups seeking to show their support for Egyptian democracy.

The Sacramento Valley Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations announced that state Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, along with community and faith leaders will hold a press conference at 11 a.m. in front of the Federal Building, 501 I St. (More)

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CAIR-CT: LOCAL EGYPTIANS, MUSLIMS SHARE VIEWS ON CRISIS - TOP
By Bryan Koenig, Bristol Press, 2/3/11

BERLIN -- Half a world away, Egyptian-Americans, Muslims and friends in the local community gathered Thursday at the Islamic Association of Greater Hartford on the Berlin Turnpike to discuss the tumultuous events in the Middle East of the last two weeks.

For the people fighting for democracy and suffering for it in Cairo and across Egypt, "my heart goes out for them," said Fatimah Aulaqi, a Waterbury resident whose family came from Yemen, which, like much the rest of the Middle East, is also seeing major political unrest. Aulaqi has family living outside Cairo.

The gathering was sponsored by the Connecticut Council on American-Islamic Relations. CAIR sought to "invite people with concern," in order to console and provide as much information and support as possible, said executive director Mongi Dhaouadi. (More)

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CAIR-OH: CLEVELAND: EGYPT 'SOLIDARITY RALLY' ON PUBLIC SQUARE FRIDAY -TOP
Kim Wendel, WKYC, 2/4/11

CLEVELAND -- The Egyptian Association of Greater Cleveland has called for a rally at 4:30 p.m. Friday (Feb. 4) to "support the struggle for freedom, self determination, and human rights in Egypt."

Co-sponsors of the rally include: Al-Awda Cleveland; Cleveland Nonviolence Network; Cleveland Peace Action; The Council on American Islamic Relations' Cleveland office; Greater Cleveland Immigrant Support Network; and the Middle East Peace Forum. (More)

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CAIR Welcomes President's Support for U.S. Muslims in SOTU Address

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 1/25/11) –- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) tonight welcomed President Obama's support for the American Muslim community in his State of the Union address before Congress.

In tonight's address, the president said: (The quote below is from the president's prepared text. His actual remarks may differ slightly.)

"And as extremists try to inspire acts of violence within our borders, we are responding with the strength of our communities, with respect for the rule of law, and with the conviction that American Muslims are a part of our American family."

SEE: Text of President Obama's State of the Union

"At a time when American Muslims face the prospect of agenda-driven hearings in Congress targeting their community, we welcome President Obama's decision to emphasize the fact that Muslims are contributing members of our society," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. "It was a timely and important reminder to our nation's leaders and the viewing audience that America's strength and security lie in the unity of its people."

SEE: In Congress, Anti-Muslim Bigotry Gaining a Strong Foothold

Earlier today, Awad discussed what the president might say in tonight's State of the Union Address during an appearance on National Public Radio (NPR). He also discussed the need for civility in public discourse.

SEE: Obama Draws Strategy for Remainder of Term (NPR)

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.