Wednesday, April 24, 2013


 U.S. Muslim Leaders to React to Boston Bombing Developments
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/19/13) –- Leaders from the national and Washington-area Muslim community will hold a noon news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to offer reaction to ongoing developments in the Boston Marathon bombings, including the naming of suspects who are apparently Muslim.
WHAT: American Muslim News Conference on Developments in Boston Marathon Bombings
WHEN: Friday, April 19, Noon (Eastern)
WHERE: Lisagor Room, National Press Club, 13th Floor, National Press Building, 529 14th Street N.W., Washington, D.C.
CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com
"We must remain united as a nation as we face those who would carry out such heinous and inexcusable crimes," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. "We thank local, state and national law enforcement authorities for their diligence in bringing the perpetrators to justice and offer condolences to the loved ones of the officers killed and injured in efforts to detain the suspects."
Awad reiterated the American Muslim community's consistent condemnation of terrorism in all its forms.
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, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR: Americans Will Remain United in Face of Boston Terror Developments
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/19/13) -- Representatives of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today joined other leaders from the national and Washington-area Muslim community at a news conference in Washington, D.C., to state that Americans will remain united in face of developments in the Boston Marathon bombings that include the naming of suspects who are reportedly Muslim.
Organizations represented at the news conference included: (In alphabetical order.)
  • Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
  • Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA)
  • Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
  • Masjid Muhammad (Washington, D.C.)
  • Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
In his prepared statement at the National Press Club news conference, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said:
"Americans are united today in condemning terrorism and in the conviction that those responsible for the terrorist attacks in Boston must face justice. This cowardly attack resulted in the murders of an eight-year-old-boy and two women, and the wounding of many others. As God tells us in the Quran, if you murder one person, it is as if you murdered all of humanity.
"While we are outraged at the terrorists, we have been inspired by the unity of Americans of all backgrounds. We are a resilient people. Now that we know the identity of the perpetrators, this unity is ever more important.
"We will show the terrorists that their plan to sow division and distrust has failed. People of goodwill are not afraid. America will stay united. We will not turn on each other in the acts of false vengeance we have witnessed after other tragedies in the past.
"American Muslims thank law enforcement for their diligent efforts to protect all our nation's citizens. We send our sincere condolences to the loved ones of the MIT police officer killed overnight and our prayers are with the law enforcement official who was wounded.
"We reiterate the American Muslim community's consistent condemnation of terrorismin all its forms."
CAIR is urging Muslim individuals and Islamic 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.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR Decries Inflammatory Anti-Muslim Rhetoric on Boston Bombing 
Muslim civil rights group says Americans have rejected calls to stereotype
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/23/13) –- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today decried the wave of inflammatory anti-Muslim rhetoric following the Boston Marathon bombings and the revelation that the suspects in the case are Muslim.
CAIR also noted that Americans of all faiths have rejected the call by a minority of extremists to stereotype Muslims and Islam.
While at least two anti-Muslim hate attacks were linked to the bombings, CAIR says it has not received any reports of violent bias-motivated incidents since the suspects were identified.
"We believe it is a positive sign that the vast majority of Americans have rejected the type of guilt by association advocated by extremist commentators seeking to exploit the tragic events in Boston to further their personal agendas," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. "As a nation, we have learned to judge a person based on their actions, not on their faith or ethnicity."
Awad said the recent spike in hate rhetoric comes in the wake of a coordinated long-term effort by Islamophobic activists and groups to demonize Islam and marginalize American Muslims.
Just after last week's bombings, CAIR issued a call for prayers and blood donations for the victims, and CAIR chapters nationwide have organized community events to condemn the attacks and show support for the victims.
CAIR-MI: Muslims Condemn Boston Marathon Bombings (Detroit News)
CAIR also called on Fox News to sever ties with a regular guest who tweeted "Let's kill them [Muslims] all" in response to the blasts.
Thousands of emails were sent to Fox News executives through a CAIR action alert.
CONTACT FOX: (As always, be POLITE and respectful.)
Since the bombings and Friday's arrest of a suspect, Fox News turned to commentators like Frank Gaffney, who claim Muslim cooperation with the FBI weakens national security, and ACT! for America leader Hanah Kahwagi Tudor (a.k.a "Brigitte Gabrie"), who claims an American Muslim "cannot be a loyal citizen" and that Islam is the "real enemy."
Other right-wing commentators have exploited the Boston bombings to promote their own pre-existing political and religious agendas.
Rep. Peter King (R-NY), who is notorious for sponsoring a series of Islamophobic congressional hearings, called for increased law enforcement surveillance of law-abiding American Muslims.
Former congressman Joe Walsh of Illinois called for the profiling of all "young Muslim men."
A New York state legislator called for the torture of the suspect who was apprehended.
Right-wing columnist Ann Coulter said she would like to see the alleged bomber's widow in jail for "wearing a hijab (Islamic head scarf)."
Fox News host Bob Beckel recommended barring all Muslim students from coming to the United States.
Televangelist Pat Robertson even compared Islam to Nazism.
SEE: Controversial Televangelist Compares Islam to Nazism
Comedian Adam Carolla told Fox News that Muslims 'hate our culture' and a radio host called for banning anyone who believes in the Quran, Islam's revealed text, from the United States.
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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Wednesday, April 17, 2013


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR Says Torture Report Shows Need to Stop 'Erosion of American Principles'
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/17/13) – The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today said that a nonpartisan, independent review of post-9/11 interrogation and detention programs, which concludes that "it is indisputable that the United States engaged in the practice of torture" shows a need to stop the "disturbing erosion of American principles."
The 577-page report by an 11-member panel convened by the Constitution Project and releasedon Tuesday, says the use of torture "damaged the standing of our nation, reduced our capacity to convey moral censure when necessary and potentially increased the danger to U.S. military personnel taken captive." According to the report, there is "no firm or persuasive evidence" that torture produced information that could not have been obtained by other means.
The panel studied how prisoners were treated at the Guantánamo Bay detention center, in Afghanistan and Iraq, and in CIA prisons. Panelists visited a number of detention sites and interviewed dozens of officials and former detainees. An appendix to the report explains why what the United States did was torture and outlines cases in which similar treatment was prosecuted or denounced as torture by American officials when used by other countries.
In a statement responding to the report's conclusions, CAIR National Executive director Nihad Awad said:
"The troubling yet unsurprising conclusions of this nonpartisan report clearly show a disturbing erosion of American principles in the post-9/11 era that must be reversed.
"Our national principles are the force that brought America to the international stature it enjoys today. CAIR and other civil rights organizations have long maintained that our government crossed the line by deciding to torture post-9/11 detainees and that this decision has been a stain on our national honor.
"CAIR appreciates the Constitution Project's willingness to examine an issue that has largely been ignored by official Washington. The panel's findings are sobering, including the conclusion that some techniques used on detainees constitute torture, that our nation's highest officials bear responsibility for this, and that the use of torture appears to have generated little to no information of value.
"This report is not the product of a desire to score political points. It is a methodical and factual examination of how our nation lost its way and what we might do to correct past errors.

"CAIR calls on national leaders to take corrective action, beginning with the renewal of CAIR's call for the closure of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay and by prosecuting officials who broke our nation's laws and ignored treaties prohibiting detainee abuse."
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Tuesday, April 16, 2013


CAIR Action Alert #691:
Ask Fox News to Drop Contributor Who Tweeted 'Kill' All Muslims
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/16/13) -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on Fox News to sever ties with a contributor who tweeted "Let's kill them [Muslims] all" in response to yesterday's deadly Boston Marathon bombings.
CAIR, which issued a call for prayers and blood donations for the victims, says regular Fox News contributor Erik Rush tweeted his "kill them all" comment after being asked, "Are you already blaming Muslims?" He responded, "Yes, they're evil. Let's kill them all." Rush later deleted his tweet, calling it "sarcasm." In subsequent tweets, he called critics of the "kill" comment "idiots," "Islamic apologist worms" and "vermin." [NOTE: After the controversy began, Fox said Rush is not a paid employee, only a guest.]
"No media outlet that wishes to be viewed as objective or credible should employ an individual who calls for religious genocide," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. "We urge Fox News to signal its rejection of bigotry and hatred by dropping Mr. Rush from its contributor list."
He added: "The actions of an individual or individuals -- no matter who the culprit is -- should never be used to cast racist or bigoted stereotypes on an entire race, ethnicity or religion? Doing so is not only unacceptable in journalism, but unacceptable as Americans."
Awad noted that Rush has written commentaries attacking the faith of Islam. Last year, he wrote an article, titled "Yes, Islam is an enemy," arguing that Islam is incompatible with American society.
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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