The head of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) tells 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS
she would like the FBI to stop visiting Mosques to ask Muslims to
spy on each other.
Lori Saroya,
CAIR-Minnesota Executive Director, speaking on behalf of other
Muslims who do not wish to come forward on this issue, says "the FBI
has visited every Mosque in the Twin Cities area and in most mosques
across Minnesota asking Muslims to become informants."
Saroya says CAIR
wants to cooperate with the FBI and says "we, as Muslims, have a
religious and civic duty to report information about possible
crimes, to law enforcement and we will." But, Saroya says when FBI
agents show up at mosques it is intimidating and creates an
atmosphere of fear and mistrust.
On Wednesday, November 12, 2014, the Michigan chapter of the Council
on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) and the American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee-Michigan (ADC-MI) will hold a joint news
conference in Inkster, Mich., to announce the filing of a federal lawsuit
against Advance America Cash Advance for denying a Muslim and
Arab-American woman money order services at one of its locations. At the
time of the press conference, a video clip of the incident will be made
available.
In a word,
no, one Islamic group says. "When this came up in 1996, we consulted with
Islamic scholars, who said there was no prohibition" of patriotic rituals
in the religion, Ibrahim Hooper, national communications director for the
Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, said from Washington.
Hooper added, "saying that it doesn't violate Islamic principles doesn't
take away anyone's right to freedom of expression it would be their
personal choice and not something mandated by the faith."
CAIR-Philadelphia:
Black Women and Islam
Other Philadelphia Black Muslim women
activists, in addition to Auston and Simmons, include Kateria Moore, who
sits on the executive committee of the local chapter of the Council on
American Islamic Relations and doctoral candidate Kameelah Mu'Min Rashad,
the Interfaith Fellow and Muslim Chaplain at the University of
Pennsylvania and founder of the Muslim Wellness Foundation.
***
Video:
CAIR-MI, ADC-MI File Federal Suit Against Advance America Over Hijab Ban
CAIR-MI and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination
Committee-Michigan (ADC-MI) today announced the filing of a federal lawsuit
against Advance America Cash Advance (Advance America) for denying a Muslim
and Arab-American woman money order services at one of its locations.
CAIR 'Disappointed'
with Md. School Board's Decision on Muslim Holidays CAIR today expressed
"disappointment" with the Montgomery County Public Schools' Board of
Education's decision to remove reference to all religious holidays from the
2015-16 school calendar rather than accommodate CAIR and the Equality for
Eid Coalition's request to grant Muslim holidays equal billing as the Jewish
holiday of Yom Kippur. CAIR-OK:
The Challenge of Islamophobia in Oklahoma Workshops at the Islamic
Society of Tulsa on Saturday November 15 featuring CAIR's Hussam Ayloush and
Zahra Billoo. Photo:
Almost 2,000 Turn Out to Hear Nobel Laureate at CAIR-LA Banquet Almost
2,000 people turned out on Saturday at the Anaheim Hilton to hear Nobel
laureate Tawakkol Karman speak at the 18th annual banquet of the Greater Los
Angeles office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA)
CAIR:
Muslim Friday Prayer to Be Offered At National Cathedral The event is
being held with South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, the All Dulles Area
Muslim Society, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Islamic Society of
North America, Muslim Public Affairs Council and The Nation's Mosque.
CAIR Launches 'Unite Humanity' Initiative to Bring Americans
Together
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/12/2014)
"The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest
Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today launched its "Unite
Humanity" initiative to bring Americans together through positive
community-based actions.
CAIR's online initiative is designed to show that the collective national
ideal of valuing diversity and uplifting neighborhoods is more powerful than
the destructive forces that seek to generalize entire faith traditions due
to the misguided actions of few. The objective of CAIR's Unite
Humanity campaign is to facilitate and raise awareness of interfaith and
community-based partnerships between groups representing diverse beliefs and
backgrounds by highlighting the joint service projects these groups are
carrying out together.
Unite Humanity is a web portal through which Americans of all faiths and
backgrounds may inform others of their local service projects or find
service projects to join.
CAIR's portal includes a community calendar, a social media campaign and
a series of services CAIR offers to help connect groups performing community
service.
"Through 'Unite Humanity,' we hope to increase public awareness of the
positive actions of American Muslims and their community partners and to
assist communities in organizing and launching cooperative public service
projects," said CAIR Outreach and Events Manager Lauren Schreiber. "By
coming together to overcome negative narratives, this campaign will provide
a collective voice rooted in service."
ACTIONS REQUESTED:
Go to CAIR's Unite Humanity portal and 1) submit an existing service
project, and/or 2) join the campaign by taking part in existing projects.
The toolkit contains information about possible service projects and
partners, about planning and holding a service project and about promoting
your service project. It also contains advice on media relations best
practices, a resource list of national service organizations and an event
planning checklist.
For other questions about the campaign or about scheduling a training,
contact events@cair.com.
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.
CAIR-LA:
Muslim, Civil Rights Leaders to Comment on Meeting with DHS Director
CAIR-LA, along with leaders of other civil rights and Muslim organizations,
held a media availability following a meeting with DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson
at the Islamic Center of San Gabriel Valley in Rowland Heights.
CAIR Video Calls Out Fox News' Faux 'Condemn Islamic Extremism' Challenge
to Muslim Leaders
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/13/14) --
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest
Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today issued a
public video response to Fox News for demanding that an American Muslim
leader come on the network to condemn "Islamic Extremism" and then failing
to interview a leader who accepted that challenge.
On October 6, Fox News Host Greta Van Susteren issued an on-air
challenge, stating:
"So here's my offer. I will give any Muslim leader of national or
international stature the platform right here 'On the Record' to condemn
Islamic extremism and to make a call to arms of every Muslim leader of every
mosque to do the same. Condemn Islamic extremism." Despite CAIR's immediate
agreement to have its National Executive Director Nihad Awad appear on her
program to repeat the American Muslim community's consistent condemnation of
religious extremism and terrorism, Van Susteren's producers changed the
terms of the challenge and ultimately dropped Awad's appearance.
In the video, CAIR's Awad states in part:
"Time after time, we hear Fox hosts and commentators calling for Muslim
leaders to speak out, asking where the Muslim condemnations of terrorism and
religious extremism are.
"That's a good question. Where are those condemnations? The answer?
"Those condemnations are in the in-boxes of Fox staffers. CAIR has more
than 170 email addresses belonging to Fox News hosts, producers and
reporters on our media list. "Every time CAIR issues a statement or a press
release, it is sent to all those email addresses. Fox News crews often show
up to our press conferences, take notes, record video, and then leave, and
the footage never makes it to air. "So the real question is, why isn't Fox
News telling its viewers the truth?"
Watch CAIR's video calling Fox News out on this apparently fake challenge
and outlining the network's consistent pattern of ignoring Muslim
condemnations of extremism and terrorism.
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.
CAIR:
Clergy Prepare Their Sanctuaries and Prayers Ahead of the Ferguson Grand
Jury Decision Dawud Walid, the Detroit-based executive director of the
Michigan Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and a
co-founder of#Muslims4Ferguson, said the latter network of spiritual leaders
and activists had a representative on the ground in St. Louis and was
preparing its response. Hassan Shibly: CAIR Strikes
Right Balance Between Protecting Security, Liberty Just as taking
precautionary measures to protect our security is reasonable, taking
precautionary measures to protect our rights is also reasonable. That is why
CAIR's recommendation of having legal counsel present when talking to law
enforcement is the right balance. Neither liberty nor security is
sacrificed. Instead, both are protected.
CAIR-MN:
Suspicions Grow as FBI's MN Terror Probe Churns (MPR) "The problem is
that people don't know what to report," said Lori Saroya, executive director
of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Her
office has fielded calls from Muslims worried about possible extremists or
even government informants in their midst.
CAIR-LA:
Homeland Security Chief Touts Cooperation with Muslims (PE) Corona's
Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the greater Los Angeles chapter of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations and one of the Muslim leaders with
whom Johnson met, gave Johnson credit for meeting with area Muslims.
CAIR-LA:
L.A. Groups Criticize White House Program on Extremism (LA Times) In the
statement, groups that include the Council on American-Islamic Relations and
the American Civil Liberties Union said the U.S. government had been less
than forthcoming with details about the program and raised concerns that it
would lead to religious profiling and stigmatization and infringe on the
rights of the Muslim community. CAIR-LA:
DHS Head Aims to Build Trust in L.A. Muslim Community (LA Times)
CAIR:
Facing Race Bus Tour Shows Dallas Stories of Struggle, Hope (Dallas MN)
Alia Salem, executive director of the Texas chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, described the group's battles against phobias
about Islam. Hate crimes and other vitriol have combined to intimidate
Muslims, she said, who often hope that staying quiet will allow trouble to
pass by.
