The Goldstone Report has re-ignited the debate over Israel's conduct in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead. The controversy over the report has been fierce and often ugly. But more and more people, in and outside of Israel and from a variety of perspectives, are realizing that a credible, independent Israeli investigation into the conduct of the Israeli forces in Gaza is the only way to move forward, both to demonstrate that Israel is committed to the rule of law and to provide some justice to all those who suffered.
Such an investigation is precisely what B'Tselem and other Israeli human rights organizations have been demanding since the end of Cast Lead http://www.btselem.org/English/Gaza_Strip/20091019_BTselem_position_on_the_Goldstone_commission_report.asp . U.S. support is crucial to make this demand a reality and for this we need your help. Go to http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5664/t/4228/campaign.jsp campaign_KEY=2148 to send a letter to your Representatives and Senators urging them to support a credible, impartial, Israeli investigation.
At the UN Human Rights Council's first discussion of the Goldstone Report, Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner said, "[The United States] encourage(s) Israel to utilize appropriate domestic review procedures and meaningful accountability mechanisms to investigate and address all credible allegations of misconduct or violations of international law." This is the kind of support we need more of from the United States.
A recent Senate letter stated that "Israel is in the process of conducting numerous investigations for which it should be commended not condemned." Israel has indeed opened a few military police investigations into soldiers' conduct in Cast Lead. Some of these were the result of B'Tselem documentation. However, there have been no investigations into the larger questions regarding the overall aims and policies concerning the fighting: were civilian buildings and infrastructure defined as legitimate military targets and if so, by whom? Were soldiers properly instructed regarding the obligation to safeguard civilians? Why were civil police forces targeted on the first day of the operation?

OKLAHOMA MUSLIM SPRINT EMPLOYEE FIRED AFTER RECEIVING HATE CALL -TOP (OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, 10/22/09) - The Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OK) today called for an apology to a Muslim employee of Sprint who was fired after receiving a hate call. On Saturday September 26, the Muslim customer service employee in Oklahoma City answered a call to Sprint during which the customer asked about the employee’s name and then asked if he is Muslim. After being told the Sprint employee is Muslim, the customer allegedly said, "Well I don't want to talk to you, and you can go to hell." The Muslim employee then hung up on the customer and reported the incident to his supervisor. A week after receiving the hate call, the Muslim worker was terminated without prior notice because he had hung up on the caller. Sprint says it has a policy in which employees are not allowed to hang up on customers under any circumstances. “It is unconscionable for Sprint to fire an employee merely for reacting as anyone would who received a hate call,” said CAIR-OK Executive Director Razi Hashmi. “We ask that Sprint review its policy on bias-motivated hate calls and to issue an apology to the Muslim employee.” Hashmi noted that a similar case in which an Arab-American restaurant manager was harassed by a customer because of his ethnicity was settled for $165,000 in 2008. In that case, the U.S.Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) stated: "The customer is not always right. Whether committed by customers, co-workers, or management, demeaning insults that target workers' national origin are completely unacceptable. The law requires management to step in and prevent this from happening.” CAIR offers a booklet, “An Employer’s Guide to Islamic Religious Practices,” designed to help prevent such incidents. 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-OK Executive Director Razi Hashmi, 405-248-5853, E-Mail:rhashmi@cair.com; CAIR-OK Chair Michael Aziz Gipson, E-Mail:mgipson@cair.com;CAIR-OK Operations Coordinator Huda Abdul-Razzak, E-Mail:habdulrazzak@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail:ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787 or 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com SEE ALSO: CAIR-OK: STATE CHURCH GROUPS PUSH HEALTH-CARE REFORM - TOP By Barbara Hoberock, Tulsa World, 10/20/09 OKLAHOMA CITY — Several faith groups on Tuesday urged passage of health care reform at the national level… Many statistics show the current health care system is broken, which is unacceptable in a country with such wealth and resources, said Razi Hashmi, a Muslim and executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Oklahoma Chapter. The nation can’t stand by and let people suffer when there are ways to cure illnesses, he said. “It’s time for us to stop sitting on the sidelines and take action,” Hashmi said. “To allow this is to allow an injustice that should not be accepted by people of faith.” (More) ----- CAIR-MN CIVIL RIGHTS DIRECTOR ON BACKLASH AGAINST MUSLIMS - TOP Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 10/22/09 Taneeza Islam is the Civil Rights Director for CAIR-MN (Council on American Islamic Relations), a national organization with 35 chapters in the U.S. and one in Canada. The Minnesota Chapter advocates for the civil rights and civil liberties of Muslims in Minnesota, presents know-your-rights trainings for the Muslim community, and provides diversity presentations for employers. Islam elaborated on the organization's activities and on discrimination and backlash against Muslims in an interview. Read the interview here. ----- CAIR-MI REP DISCUSSES RELIGIOUS ATTIRE IN COURTS WITH LAW STUDENTS - TOP (SOUTHFIELD, MI, 10/22/09) A representative of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) yesterday took part in a panel discussion for law students at Michigan State University in East Lansing examining accommodation issues relating to religious attire in that state’s courts. CAIR-MI Attorney Melanie Elturk spoke about the recent Michigan Supreme Court administrative rule that gives judges unrestricted discretion to regulated attire of individuals in court rooms and discussed how the rule is of major concern to civil libertarians. SEE: CAIR Seeks Clarification on Hijab in Michigan Courts 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-MI Attorney Melanie Elturk, 248-559-2247, E-Mail: Melturk@cair.com SEE ALSO: CAIR-OH: EXHIBIT TO FEATURE LYNCHING PHOTOGRAPHS - TOP By Mark Curnutte, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/20/09 The question is one of relevancy. What does an exhibit of several dozen photographs of the lynching of African-Americans have to do with contemporary society? A lot, say museum executives and academic advisers to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. "Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America," an exhibition of postcards, photographs and other memorabilia - including broadside advertisements of hangings that occurred from 1882 through 1968, will open at the downtown museum Jan. 19 and run through May 31... Several local organizations have pledged to sponsor community conversations in association with the exhibit. Among them: Council on American-Islamic Relations, Cincinnati Museum Center,Cincinnati Art Museum and Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio. (More) ----- CAIR: MUSLIM GROUP DEMANDS RELEASE OF FBI RULES - TOP Justice Department says it does not want to provide a "road map" for terrorists. By Sean Emery, The Orange County Register, 10/20/09 IRVINE A civil liberties group is fighting for full access to the FBI's guidelines on the surveillance of religious communities, arguing that the Justice Departments recent decision to release partially redacted versions of the guidelines left out key passages pertaining to spying in local mosques… Earlier this year a federal district court judge ordered the FBI to make available for review 48 pages of surveillance memos pertaining to Southern California Muslim organizations after a lawsuit demanding the information was brought by the ACLU on behalf of several organizations, including the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California. (More) ----- CAIR-NY: ANTI-ISLAMIC DUTCH LAWMAKER SPEAKS AT COLUMBIA - TOP VIRGINIA BYRNE, The Associated Press, 10/22/09 "Wilders has a long history of anti-Muslim bigotry," said Faiza Ali, Community Affairs Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in New York City. "He speaks on a platform of freedom of speech, yet has called for the banning of the Quran and taxing Muslim women who don the headscarf," she said. (More)

CAIR Good News Alert #596:

Victory for Justice in Six Imams 'Flying While Muslim' Case
Show your support for CAIR’s important work by registering for annual banquet

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 10/20/09) - CAIR today hailed what it called a “victory for justice and civil rights” in the case of the six imams who said their rights were violated in 2006 when they were removed from a US Airways flight in Minnesota and arrested.

According to the terms of the settlement, the six religious leaders will receive an undisclosed amount in compensation for the incident and that the case was resolved to “the satisfaction of all parties.” CAIR has championed the imams’ rights since they were removed from the plane

SEE: Imams Removed from Flight Agree to Settlement

For background on the case, see: Flying While Muslim

“The settlement of this case is a clear victory for justice and civil rights over fear and the phenomenon of 'flying while Muslim’ in the post-9/11 era,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. “We thank all those who supported the imams through the lengthy and difficult legal process.”

In July, a judge in Minnesota sided with the imams on key issues in their lawsuit against those involved in their removal from the plane. U.S. District Judge Ann Montgomery cleared the way for a trial by denying several motions to dismiss the case and ruling that a law passed by Congress after the incident does not grant protection from lawsuits to those sued by the imams.

SEE: Imams Can Pursue Claims Against Police, Judge Rules (Star Tribune)
SEE ALSO: Judge Says Imams Booted from Flight Can Sue Police (MPR)

Judge Montgomery also ruled that the actions of the imams prior to their flight did not justify their detention. She noted that the imams were subjected to "extreme fear and humiliation of being falsely identified as dangerous terrorists."

Read the entire ruling here.

ACTION REQUESTED:

CAIR can only carry out its important civil rights work with your support. Please register TODAY for CAIR’s 15th annual banquet on Saturday, October 24, in Arlington, Va.

Banquet attendees will hear from Imam Siraj Wahhaj, Imam Madhi Bray, Dr. Agha Saeed,Rev. Jesse Jackson, and from former Congressman Paul Findley.

Online registration ENDS SOON. Past dinners have been sold out events and tickets may be hard to come by if you don’t reserve yours today.

Register online today by going to: http://www.cair.com/banquet/

To make a reservation over the phone, call 202-488-8787 (If it is after business hours, leave a message with your daytime and evening phone numbers.), or you may e-mail:banquet@cair.com

CAIR 15th Annual Banquet: “Leading the Change: 15 Years of Service”

WHEN: Saturday, October 24, 2009
Registration begins at 5:30 p.m., Program begins at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Marriott Crystal Gateway, 1700 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA

TICKETS: $65/person; $15/child babysitting (ages 6 months-12 years.)

REGISTER TODAY FOR CAIR’S 15TH ANNUAL BANQUET - TOP http://www.cair.com/banquet/ ----- AUDIO: CAIR REP RECEIVES HATE CALL DURING RADIO INTERVIEW - TOP Accusations Against Muslim NGO Stir Fears of Intolerance Free Speech Radio, 10/19/09 Four Republican Congress members have accused the Council on American Islamic Relations of infiltrating Capitol Hill. They say CAIR is placing interns in Congressional offices to spy on members. Some Muslims worry the allegations are stirring up a new wave of fear and intolerance. Tanya Snyder reports. Click here to listen. ----- CAIR VIDEO: ROUND 2 OF RACHEL MADDOW EXPOSES ANTI-ISLAM EXTREMISTS IN CONGRESS - TOP Watch the Video: View Round 1: Rachel Maddow Exposes Anti-Islam Extremists in Congress SEE ALSO: CAIR REP DISCUSSES 'MANCHURIAN INTERNS' WITH CNN'S RICK SANCHEZ - TOP Watch the Video: (Sound is low. Boost your volume.) --- ISNA: GOP LEADERS SHOULD REJECT EFFORTS TO SMEAR MUSLIMS BY CONGRESSMEN - TOP ISNA, 10/17/09 (Washington, DC - October 17, 2009) The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) is shocked that four Republican Congressmen found it fit to make serious allegations against a Muslim advocacy group by borrowing passages from a book authored by two well known Islamophobes, and that some of them went out of their way to promote an anti-Muslim book during a national news conference. US Representatives Trent Franks (AZ), Sue Myrick (NC), John Shadegg (AZ), and Paul Broun (GA) accused on Wednesday the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) of planting “spies” on Capitol Hill and called on federal officials to investigate the organization. While we believe it is the obligation of every American and every Congressman to ensure that national security is not harmed, this must be done without tarnishing the reputation of law abiding fellow Americans or smearing an entire religious community. We are particularly troubled that the four Congressmen took their clues from a book by two well known anti-Muslim writers, Dave Gaubatz and Paul Sperry. Sperry authored in 2005 an alarmist book that accused Muslim Americans of infiltrating Washington, and attacked Islam as a violent religion. Similarly, Gaubatz has in the past targeted Islam and Muslims, called Islam an "evil ideology," and worked for a racist group that sought to make "adherence to Islam" punishable by a 20-year prison term. (More) --- FINDLEY CALLS FOUL AS 4 LAWMAKERS CLAIM INTERNS ARE SPIES - TOP CODY BOZARTH, Journal-Courier, 10/17/09 Before settling down in Jacksonville, Paul Findley spent much of his 22 years in Congress campaigning for the rights of people of all religions and for policy changes in the Middle East. Events this week in Washington have him speaking out again. Four Republican representatives -- John Shadegg of Arizona, Paul Broun of Georgia, Trent Franks of Arizona and Sue Myrick of North Carolina — have formally asked for the investigation of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a non-profit organization in Washington, citing what they say are terrorist ties. “As a Republican, I’m ashamed that Republicans made all this fuss,” Findley said Friday. “I don’t find anything in Islam that justifies these calls of terrorism. Half of the American people are misinformed about Islam and I’ve tried to correct those assumptions.” (More) --- FORMER EMPLOYER OF MUSLIM-BASHING AUTHOR CALLED FOR ‘WAR’ ON ISLAM - TOP Paul "Dave" Gaubatz, co-author of “Muslim Mafia,” is the former “Director of Intelligence and Counter-terrorism Studies” of the hate group Society of Americans for National Existence (SANE) and its associated Mapping Shari’a in America Project. The Mapping Shari’a in America Project says it is devoted to spying on mosques and other Islamic institutions in the United States. In explaining why he seeks to infiltrate mosques and Islamic institutions nationwide, Gaubatz wrote in a commentary on that group’s website: “…the real answer to Why is the fact that in this country, our government and its myriad of agencies and bureaucracies have determined that a priori Islam itself is NOT the evil ideology it in fact is…” (April 20, 2007) On its now-private website, SANE offered a policy proposal that would make it illegal to be a Muslim: “Whereas, adherence to Islam as a Muslim is prima facie evidence of an act in support of the overthrow of the US. [sic] Government through the abrogation, destruction, or violation of the US Constitution and the imposition of Shari’a on the American People...It shall be a felony punishable by 20 years in prison to knowingly act in furtherance of, or to support the, adherence to Islam.” [A SANE Act to Deal with the Islamic Threat to America’s National Existence (SADITANE)] SANE’s website once contained the following white supremacist language as part of its mission statement: “America is a unique people bound together through a commitment to America’s Judeo-Christian moral foundation and to an enduring faith and trust in G-d and in His Providence. America’s founding, and its greatness was neither accident nor staging ground for some better existence or world state. America was the handiwork of faithful Christians, mostly men, and almost entirely white, who ventured from Europe to create a nation in their image of a country existing as free men under G-d.” Other articles on the SANE website made racist statements such as: “There is a reason the founding fathers did not give women or black slaves the right to vote,” and "Race matters and affects your intelligence. Jews are the smartest white people around. Orientals smarter than Whites. Latinos next. Then Blacks.” Another SANE article stated: “Is there something unique about the Black American (or, at least the Black New Yorker) that leads him to murder so disproportionately and to most often kill and victimize his own? Do we see patterns of Black culture that arise out of Africa and the wanton murder of blacks by blacks there? Why have the colonized blacks of the African continent, after having acquired their freedom and independence, so willingly slaughtered their own and live in despicable disease and squalor despite a land of enormous riches while Indians of the Indian sub-continent have successfully moved from British rule to democracy and relative civility even in a country that still maintains social inequalities as a fact of their culture?” A 2007 commentary by the head of SANE, David Yerushalmi, called for a “war against Islam and all Muslim faithful.” SEE: War Manifesto: The War Against Islam By David Yerushalmi & SANE Staff Wed, January 10, 2007 …The following can be considered the SANE War Manifesto. On the so-called Global War on Terrorism, GWOT, we have been quite clear along with a few other resolute souls. This should be a WAR AGAINST ISLAM and all Muslim faithful. In particular, historical, traditional, and authoritative Shari’a, or the Islamic Way of Life, bound most tightly by Islamic law and jurisprudence, or fiqh, is the focus of the ideology which drives our enemy. People who don’t grasp that Islam is first and foremost a religious ideology built on a legal foundation or jurisprudence simply don’t understand Islam… The actual or physical enemy is any Muslim who adopts or accepts historical and traditional Shari’a as authoritative. This includes individuals, terrorist networks, clans, tribes, regimes, or states. One law and one Rule of Engagement: If you adopt Shari’a as your ideology, you constitute our enemy and you are in our cross-hairs. We of course will pick the most opportune time and place but you will be targeted. At a practical level, this means that Shari’a and Islamic law are immediately outlawed. Any Moslem in America who adopts historical and traditional Shari’a will be subject to deportation. Mosques which adhere to Islamic law will be shut down permanently. No self-described or practicing Muslim, irrespective of his or her declarations to the contrary, will be allowed to immigrate to this country. (More) ----- CAIR-OK JOINS INTERFAITH CALL FOR HEALTH CARE REFORM - TOP (OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, 10/20/09) On Tuesday, October 20th, the Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OK) will take part in a press conference with faith leaders at the state Capitol building in Oklahoma City to call for reform of health care in America. Representatives of 14 faith traditions will share positions in support of health care reform in America at a news conference organized by the Oklahoma Conference of Churches in Oklahoma City. WHAT: Faith Leaders Call for Reform of Health Care in America WHEN: 2 p.m., Tuesday, October 20 WHERE: State Capitol, Governor’s Blue Room, 2nd Floor, east end CONTACT: Joanne Kurklin, Executive Director, Oklahoma Conference of Churches. Phone: 405-525-2928. E-Mail: joanne.kurklin@okchurches.org. Rev. Dr. Rockford Johnson, President, Board of Directors, E-mail: okchurches@okchurches.org 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-OK Executive Director Razi Hashmi, 405-248-5853, E-Mail: rhashmi@cair.com; CAIR-OK Chair Michael Aziz Gipson, E-Mail: mgipson@cair.com; CAIR-OK Operations Coordinator Huda Abdul-Razzak, E-Mail: habdulrazzak@cair.com ----- CAIR-SAN DIEGO CO-SPONSORS EMPLOYEE, IMMIGRATION RIGHTS WORKSHOP - TOP (SAN DIEGO, CA, 10/20/09) - The San Diego office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-San Diego) recently co-sponsored an Employee and Immigration Rights workshop with the Employee Rights Center at the Islamic Center of San Diego (ICSD). Employee Rights Center’s Director Peter Zschiesche and Assistant Director Alor Calderon were among the panelists who spoke at the workshop. CAIR-San Diego Public Relations Director Edgar Hopida also served as a panelist and moderator. This informative workshop consisted of a basic overview of the legal rights of both employer and employee and the kind of services that CAIR-San Diego and Employee Rights Center offer to the American Muslim community. The Employee Rights Center had recently announced a new service that assists individuals with green card and naturalization delays. There was also a question and answer session that allowed community members in the audience to address employment and immigration issues to the panelists. “Employment Rights Center’s partnership with CAIR-0San Diego in the matters of employment and immigration rights is a welcomed resource to the San Diego Muslim community,” said CAIR-San Diego Public Relations Director Edgar Hopida. According to last year’s CAIR Civil Rights Report, there was a 34 percent increase in employment discrimination in 2007. 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-San Diego Public Relations Director Edgar Hopida, 619-913-0719 or 858-278-4547, E-mail: ehopida@cair.com SEE ALSO: CAIR-MI: FLU FEARS AFFECT WORSHIP SERVICES - TOP BILL LAITNER, Detroit Free Press, 10/18/09 …With the potential for a flu epidemic in Michigan, health experts say that passing the communion cup, sharing Christian or Jewish bread, packing a mosque for Friday prayers and other cherished rituals can spread the bug… Dawud Walid, assistant imam at Masjid Wali Muhammad in Detroit and head of the Michigan branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the threat of swine flu has made him more aware of keeping safe in public settings, such as mosques. Walid has preached to worshippers during Friday prayers -- the most popular weekly gathering for Muslims -- about the dangers of swine flu and how they should be aware of it. (More) ----- CAIR-CA: VANDALISM PROBE SOUGHT - TOP Ben Aguirre Jr., Oakland Tribune, 10/16/09 NEWARK — The Bay Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is asking local and state officials for a hate-crime investigation into the vandalism of a Newark City Council candidate's home. Nadja Adolf, one of three candidates for two seats on the council, had her home egged Monday morning while she and her husband were not home, she said. (More) SEE ALSO: MAN APOLOGIZES FOR VANDALISM AT MOSQUE - TOP LINDSAY WISE, HOUSTON CHRONICLE Police have questioned a man who admits to writing derogatory remarks about Muslims on the walls of a mosque inside a southwest Houston cultural center, but no charges will be filed at the request of the center's leadership. (More)

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday visited Kazan, the capital of Russia's predominantly Muslim Tatarstan region, lauding it as an example of multi-ethnic tolerance and peace.

Situated on the banks of the Volga River 850 kilometres (500 miles) east of Moscow, the city of 1.2 million famously contains both a mosque and a Orthodox cathedral within the walls of its Kremlin.

Over half of the region's population are Tatars, a Muslim Turkic people who live alongside a large ethnic Russian Orthodox Christian population and other minorities.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091014/pl_afp/russiausdiplomacyreligion;_ylt=Av_4vPg63IKXTpZThOkD7IA7Xs8F;_ylu=X3oDMTMxa2lqbDY2BGFzc2V0A2FmcC8yMDA5MTAxNC9ydXNzaWF1c2RpcGxvbWFjeXJlbGlnaW9uBHBvcwMzNgRzZWMDeW5fcGFnaW5hdGVfc3VtbWFyeV9saXN0BHNsawNjbGludG9ucHJhaXM-

CAIR SEEKS HATE CRIME PROBE OF VANDALISM AT CALIF. MUSLIM CANDIDATE’S HOME - TOP (SANTA CLARA, CA, 10/16/09) The San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA) today called on state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate a possible bias motive for vandalism of the home of a Muslim woman who is running for elected office. CAIR said the house of Nadja Adolf, a Newark resident running for a seat on her local city council, was egged on Sunday, October 11. Adolf is a long-time Newark resident and has never had any previous complaints about property vandalism. A picture of her, wearing an Islamic head scarf, or hijab, was published in a local newspaper just days before the incident. “Because of the circumstances surrounding this incident, we believe it is important that a possible bias motive be investigated,” said Zahra Billoo, programs and outreach director for CAIR-SFBA. “Our community’s religious, political and community leaders need to be vigilant of and address the growing anti-Muslim rhetoric in our society that can lead to such incidents.” Billoo also urged American Muslim individuals and institutions to review advice on security procedures contained in its "Muslim Community Safety Kit." 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-SFBA Programs and Outreach Director Zahra Billoo, 626-252-0885, E-Mail: zbilloo@cair.com SEE ALSO: MUSLIMS LACK ALLIES IN CONCERNS ABOUT FBI UNDERCOVER PROGRAM - TOP OMAR SACIRBEY, Religion News Service, 10/16/09 (RNS) When a local Muslim activist told Chuck Warpehoski that the FBI was using undercover informants to collect information on people attending mosques, he knew the issue couldn't be ignored. After all, Warpehoski said, his group, the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice, had once been the target of FBI surveillance during the Vietnam War. So Warpehoski, a Quaker, wrote a letter earlier this year to Attorney General Eric Holder, urging him to investigate the allegations and review FBI policies on profiling and surveillance. "If there is a reason to investigate, there is a reason," he said. "But to investigate just because of religious affiliation is not sufficient." Warpehoski said a local Muslim activist told him about the FBI surveillance program, but as he sees it, it's not just an issue for Muslim groups. If G-men can infiltrate a mosque, why not a church, synagogue or temple?... While Muslim groups have applauded the solidarity of groups like the Interfaith Council in Ann Arbor, they say they are the exception. “It's understood that this is only going to target Muslims. And if it's only going to affect Muslims, why worry about it?" said Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington. (More) ----- VIDEO: RACHEL MADDOW EXPOSES ANTI-ISLAM EXTREMISTS IN CONGRESS - TOP View the video. SEE ALSO: REP. HONDA: SLANDER OF MUSLIMS IS ‘SLANDER AGAINST DEMOCRACY AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM’ - TOP Washington Independent, 10/16/2009 At the heart of this issue is whether or not diverse populations are given a fair shot at representing their legitimate political interests in Congress, either as interns, as staff or as Members. The climate in Congress is clearly not as conducive as it should be in encouraging democratic representation, as exemplified by recent fear-rousing antics.As a result of the innumerous obstacles facing Muslim-Americans in this post-9/11 environment, their political participation is stifled and often stymied. More channels for Muslim participation are sorely needed, as well as a friendlier climate that embraces, not discourages, diversity. These fallacious allegations implicate the existence of a society still struggling with anti-Muslim sentiment. My Muslim colleagues in the House of Representatives, along with the highly qualified, patriotic and committed Muslim staffers and interns that have worked with my office and with CAPAC, contribute mightily to our democratic process. Any slander against these fellow patriots is slander against democracy and religious freedom. --- MAS FREEDOM JOINS CONGRESSIONAL CONDEMNATION OF LATEST ISLAMOPHOBIC ATTACK AGAINST MUSLIM COMMUNITY - TOP Rep. Loretta Sanchez and House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, Jr. Condemn Accusations Against CAIR WASHINGTON, D.C. (MASNET) Oct. 16, 2009 MAS Freedom (MASF), as the civic and human rights advocacy entity of the Muslim American Society (MAS), joins Representative Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), in condemning what has been described as one of the most despicable domestic political events of the year stemming from a October 14, 2009, report that four Republican U.S. Representatives, John Shaedegg (AZ), Paul Broun (GA), Trent Franks (AZ), and Sue Myrick (NC) have accused the Center for American Islamic Relations (CAIR) of placing Muslim spies in Congress and requested a formal investigation into CAIR from the House Sergeant at Arms. Rep. Shadegg even called for an IRS and DOJ investigation into CAIR stating that it is an organization "members of Congress should be aware of and that should be investigated by the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service." MAS Freedom Executive Director, Mahdi Bray stated, "This latest Islamophobic attack against members of the Muslim community is based on the extreme and repugnant anti-Muslim paranoia propagated by the authors of a newly released book (the forward of which was written by Rep. Sue Myrick), written by Paul Sperry and David Gaubatz, who has been described as a 'paranoid, racist loon' whose organization publishes 'mineral-rich' and 'protein-packed' material to 'strengthen America's national existence' the same kind of strengthening the likes of David Horowitz and Steve Emerson would have the nation subscribe to?" Bray added, "It is ludicrous to suggest that advocating for democracy in seeking to help interns obtain positions in Congress should be seen as nothing short of a sinister plot to influence government officials in any way detrimental to our nation. Why must the work of a single group, whether it be CAIR, MAS, ICNA, MANA, AMA, AMT, or any other organization comprised of or supported by members of the Muslim community, be deemed outside of the norm of what every other advocacy group in the nation strives toward? As a longtime civil rights activist, I witnessed these same racist tactics used against Dr. King and other organizations in the civil rights movement, in their fight against injustice and bigotry." "I am appalled by this request [for an investigation of Muslim ‘spies’ in Congress], and the insinuation that Muslim-Americans are somehow conspiring against this country through their work on Capitol Hill. As a strong advocate for diversity and religious freedom, I find these claims to be outrageous and offensive. I urge the rest of my colleagues to join me in denouncing this witch hunt, which is clearly intended to create fear and distrust in our Capitol Hill community," stated Representative Loretta Sanchez. House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. added, "It shouldn't need to be said in 2009, and after the historic election of our first African-American president, but let me remind all my colleagues that patriotic Americans of all races, religions, and beliefs have the right - and the responsibility - to participate in our political process, including by volunteering to work in Congressional offices. Numerous Muslim-American interns have served the House ably and they deserve our appreciation and respect, not attacks on their character or patriotism." "These unwarranted, ludicrous calls for terrorism investigations into political activist groups based on their constituencies’ nationality and religion are eerily similar to accusations of "terrorism" made 50 years ago against peace activists and civil rights groups, like the NAACP," stated former Department of Justice ethics attorney Jesselyn Radack. Radack is widely known as the whistleblower that exposed the Bush Administration's misconduct in the case of John Walker Lindh, the "American Taliban"; one of the most prominent prisoners of the Afghan war, who's naked, blindfolded, tied-up and bound to a board image in December of 2001, became the nation's first glimpse of American-led torture. MAS Freedom (MASF) is the civic and human rights advocacy entity of the Muslim American Society (MAS), the largest Muslim, grassroots, charitable, religious, social, cultural, civic and educational organization in America - with 55 chapters in 35 states. MAS Freedom 1325 G Street NW, Suite 500 Washington DC 20005 Phone: (202) 552-7414 or (703) 642-6165 Toll Free: 1-(888)-627-8471 --- MPAC: RIGHT-WING CONSPIRACY THEORY OF THE WEEK: MUSLIM INTERNS "SPYING" ON CONGRESS - TOP This week, four Republican members of Congress, Rep. Sue Myrick, Rep. John Shadegg, Rep. Paul Broun, and Rep. Trent Franks, called on the U.S. House of Representatives’ Sergeant-at-Arms to investigate a national Muslim American civil rights organization, the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), for encouraging young Muslim Americans to intern in Congressional offices. By encouraging community members to engage in the civic process and engage in advocacy like most other major Washington, DC organizations, CAIR is being accused by these lawmakers of trying to plant "spies" into Congressional offices. In a bizarre McCarthy-era like press conference, the four lawmakers quoted various excerpts from a yet-to-be released Islamophobic publication entitled, "Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld That's Conspiring to Islamize America." The publication is co-authored by Dave Gaubatz, an individual who has repeatedly attacked members of Congress and the President for trying to implement sharia (Islamic law) in the United States. It is unfortunate that four members of Congress from the party of Abraham Lincoln have used their official government capacity to characterize Muslims’ civic engagement as evidence of espionage and subversion. This accusation goes beyond the work of one organization; it is an affront to the countless number of patriotic Muslim Americans serving at all levels of government and civil society. This type of reckless behavior casts a phony net of suspicion on young Muslim Americans serving in various government offices. MPAC calls on the House Leadership, specifically the Republican House leadership, to follow in the footsteps of Rep. John Conyers, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Loretta Sanchez to condemn this vicious and unfounded attack, and prevent a climate of Islamophobia from spreading on Capitol Hill. In a clear statement yesterday, Rep. Conyers addressed the issue by saying: "It shouldn't need to be said in 2009, and after the historic election of our first African-American president, but let me remind all my colleagues that patriotic Americans of all races, religions, and beliefs have the right - and the responsibility - to participate in our political process, including by volunteering to work in Congressional offices, Numerous Muslim-American interns have served the House ably and they deserve our appreciation and respect, not attacks on their character or patriotism." This type of behavior by four House Republicans will only embolden the extremists. The lawmakers are making a mockery out of our legislative process with empty and hollow conspiracy theories. It is hypocritical of them to accuse Muslim organizations of subversion on America, while they themselves apparently sent a spy to infiltrate the national office of CAIR so they could get a copy of an internal memo. The four members of Congress should be reminded of the words of President John Adams when he addressed America’s relationship to Islam, "The United States has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Muslims." Muslim Americans will continue to engage in the civic process and serve their country at all levels. Those who insist on choosing fear as a tool of exclusion will not hinder our country and the sacred involvement of its citizens in the civic process. [Haris Tarin, Community Development Director, 202.547.7701, haris@mpac.org]