U.S. Leaders Asked to Address Growing Islamophobia

[JMD Morgan]

Wednesday, July 08, 2009
CAIR: U.S. Leaders Asked to Address Growing Islamophobia

WASHINGTON, July 8, 2009 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ ----A
prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today cited
recent anti-Muslim incidents nationwide in calling on American leaders
to address what it said is a "growing level of anti-Muslim prejudice and
stereotyping" in American society.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said opinion leaders,
policymakers and law enforcement authorities should speak out against
the type of Islamophobic rhetoric on Internet hate sites and on talk
radio programs that may lead to bias-motivated attacks.

In making its appeal to local and national leaders, CAIR cited recent
incidents targeting American Muslim individuals and institutions,
including a bias-motivated attack on a Muslim woman and child in Seattle
by a self-proclaimed white supremacist, vandalism of mosques in Florida
and California, an anti-Islam sign outside a Florida church, racist
fireworks sold in Wisconsin, the beating of a Muslim student in New
York, and the death of a California Muslim leader in a "suspicious" fire.

SEE: Man Charged with Hate Crime for Threatening Muslim Woman (Seattle
Times)

http://tinyurl.com/nyghzm

Anti-Islam Church Sign Stirs Up Community Outrage (Gainesville Sun)

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090708/articles/907081008

Police: 2 Vandalized Mosque (Miami Herald)

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/1126630.html

Islamic Center Tagged with Graffiti (Orange County Register)

http://tinyurl.com/okozdp

Racially Offensive Fireworks Off Wisconsin Shelves (Star Tribune)

http://www.startribune.com/local/49928367.html

NY Muslim Parents Call Beating of Son a Hate Crime (Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwqeJI5rCD4

FBI Joins Investigation of Muslim Leader's Death (The Sun)

http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_12764435

The Washington-based council also noted American Muslim concerns that
government actions, such as sending agent provocateurs into mosques or
targeting Muslims for deportation even after they are acquitted of
criminal charges, can add to the growing level of anti-Muslim views by
stereotyping Muslims as predisposed to terrorism.

SEE: The Alarming Record of the F.B.I.'s Informant in the Bronx Bomb
Plot (Village Voice)

http://tinyurl.com/ng3ht9

Florida Muslim's Deportation Trial a Test Case for Obama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbyiKt8JskM

CAIR called for swift government action to back up both President
Obama's recent challenge to those who promote "negative stereotypes" of
Islam and the statement by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder committing
the Obama administration to protecting the civil rights of American
Muslims. [In his recent speech to the Muslim world in Cairo, President
Obama said: "I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the
United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever
they appear."]

SEE: Statement of Attorney General Eric Holder on Department of
Justice's Outreach and Enforcement Efforts to Protect American Muslims

http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/speeches/2009/ag-speech-090604.html

"It is important that our nation's leaders speak out against the growing
level of anti-Muslim prejudice and stereotyping in our society and
support the American Muslim community when it is targeted by bigots,"
said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. "Education and mutual
understanding are key to challenging those who would spread intolerance
and hatred."

He said CAIR recently launched a major initiative, called "Share the
Quran," to educate American leaders about Islam. In that initiative,
American Muslims are being asked to sponsor distribution of free copies
of the Quran, Islam's revealed text, to 100,000 local, state and
national leaders.

SEE: Share the Quran

http://www.explorethequran.com/

SEE ALSO: Muslim Group Shares Quran to Promote Understanding

http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/36553/

Awad also said that CAIR offers a booklet, called the "Muslim Community
Safety Kit," which offers advice for preventing and reacting to
anti-Muslim hate crimes.

SEE: CAIR Muslim Community Safety Kit

http://www.cair.com/ActionCenter/CommunityToolKit.aspx

CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties organization, has 35
offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. 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 National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper,
202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail: iho...@cair.com; CAIR
Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, E-Mail:
aru...@cair.com

SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations