Verse: Bear Witness to the Truth

CAIR: Judge Says Hate Blogger Cannot Use Civil Rights Group's Name

Wash. Post: Tucson Should Make Rep. King Rethink Muslim Probe

Muslim Congressman: Time to Cool Rhetoric

US Labor Department Upgrades 'Re-Employment' Web Portal

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VERSE OF THE DAY: BEAR WITNESS TO THE TRUTH - TOP

"Be steadfast in your devotion to God, bearing witness to the truth in all equity, and never let the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: (for) that is closest to piety..."

The Holy Quran, 5:8-9

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CAIR: JUDGE SAYS HATE BLOGGER CANNOT USE CIVIL RIGHTS GROUP'S NAME - TOP

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 1/10/11) --

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a prominent Washington-based Muslim civil rights group, said today that a federal judge in Michigan told an anti-Muslim blogger she can no longer misuse its name.

In a hearing today, Judge Avern Cohn of the U.S. District Court in Detroit told hate blogger Debbie Schlussel that she can no longer use the name "Council on American-Islamic Relations" in reference to herself or organizational names she has registered. Judge Cohn requested further briefings on Schlussel's use of "CAIR" because she recently changed her use of the acronym to "Council on American-Israel Relations" instead of "Council on American-Islamic Relations."

SEE: CAIR Wins Partial Court Victory vs. Schlussel

"Today was a big step toward clearing up the confusion that Debbie Schlussel clearly stated she intended to cause through her malicious actions," said Dawud Walid, executive director of CAIR's Michigan chapter.

CAIR sued Schlussel for using multiple versions of CAIR's name in violation of the Muslim civil rights group's trademark rights. The lawsuit also alleges that Schussel is "funneling donations for an entity she calls 'CAIR-Michigan' into an online account she has publicly used on prior occasions as a receptacle for donations to other entities [she] controls."

SEE: CAIR's Lawsuit Against Debbie Schlussel

On her blog, Schlussel said she registered the CAIR names to "to drive the Muslims crazy." On Twitter, Schussel tweeted that she would use CAIR's misappropriated names "to expose and fight #Islam." She has a long history of anti-Islam and extremist postings. The Southern Poverty Law Center classified Schlussel as an "anti-Islam blogger."

SEE: Examples of Debbie Schlussel's Extremist Views

In one recent post, headlined "No Tears for Egypt's Coptic Christians," Schlussel wrote that the recent terror attack on a Coptic church in Egypt was "a great example of karma." "It's a bitch...I wish it could go on forever and that both sides would lose," wrote Schlussel. [NOTE: CAIR issued a statement condemning the church bombing.]

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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WASH. POST: TUCSON SHOULD MAKE REP. KING RETHINK MUSLIM PROBE - TOP By Jeff Stein, Washington Post, 1/10/11

The shooting in Tucson offers Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.) an opportunity to rethink his planned Homeland Security Committee hearings on Muslim "radicalization" in this country.

King says he's worried about the "disconnect," as he calls it, "between outstanding Muslims who contribute so much to the future of our country and those leaders who--for whatever reason--acquiesce in terror or ignore the threat."

By that standard, he should have hearings on the failure of Republican leaders to denounce Sarah Palin's "crosshairs" Web page and Sharron Angle's invocation of "Second Amendment remedies" to Big Government and her opponent in the Nevada U.S. Senate race, Harry Reid. (More)

SEE ALSO:

MUSLIM CONGRESSMAN: TIME TO COOL RHETORIC - TOP Carson Says Tone in Washington Needs Work The Indy Channel, 1/9/11

INDIANAPOLIS -- U.S. Rep. Andre Carson, D-Indianapolis, said the mass shooting in Arizona that critically injured a colleague underscores a need to tone down the contentious rhetoric associated with political debate.

As one of two African-American and Muslim members of Congress, Carson said he's no stranger to political hatred and threats, 6News' Jennifer Carmack reported.

"I think we have to recognize that we're all fellow human beings, one, and that we have philosophical differences, but those differences have to be met with some kind of civility," said Carson.

Carson has, at times, been a lightning rod during his short time in Congress.

"During the health care debates, there were death threats that we received over the phone. There were comments that were made against me and my family and my staff," Carson said. "They even listed our address, my home address."

Political passions erupted into physical violence at some town hall meetings last year. (More)

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US LABOR DEPARTMENT UPGRADES 'RE-EMPLOYMENT' WEB PORTAL AS GATEWAY FOR INFORMATION ON EMPLOYMENT, TRAINING, FINANCIAL HELP - TOP

January 6, 2011

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Labor has upgraded its re-employment Web portal to provide access to assistance beyond career and job searches. The http://www.CareerOneStop.org/reemployment site now offers a single source for information on jobs, career training, unemployment benefits and assistance with necessities such as food, housing, health care and utility payments. The resources will prove useful to everyone from recently laid-off workers and unemployment insurance claimants to individuals who have exhausted their unemployment benefits and those seeking to change careers.

"Being laid off is devastating. It cuts off an individual's, and often a family's, income. It also affects virtually every other critical aspect of daily life," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "This newly revamped site streamlines the daunting task of finding information about everything from career support to government benefits. It brings all of this information together in one place."

The portal offers information and guidance related to such varied topics as food stamps; the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program; continuing health insurance coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, better known as COBRA; the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program; credit counseling; avoiding foreclosure; and pursuing education and training. In addition, visitors may search for both federal and state resources.

Contact:

Mike Trupo, Tel: 202-693-3414, Email: trupo.michael@dol.gov

CONTACT:

CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid, 248-842-1418, E-Mail: dwalid@cair.com; CAIR-MI Staff Attorney Lena Masri, 248-390-9784, E-Mail: lmasri@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, or 202-488-8787, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com