CAIR-CT to Protest City Council's Cancellation of Muslim Prayer
Muslim religious leader disinvited after council inundated with hate messages
 
(HARTFORD, CT, 9/12/10) --

On Monday, September 13, the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CT) will hold a prayer vigil on the steps of Hartford City Hall to protest the city council's decision to call off a pre-meeting prayer by a Muslim religious leader, or imam.
 
WHAT: CAIR-CT Protests Cancellation of Imam's City Council Prayer
WHEN: Monday, September 13, 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Hartford City Hall Steps, 550 Main Street, Hartford, CT
CONTACT: CAIR-CT Executive Director Mongi Dhaouadi, 860-514-8038, E-Mail: mdhaouadi@cair.com
 
The Islamic prayer, which was originally designed by city council members as an "act of solidarity with our Muslim brothers and sisters" at a time of growing Islamophobia nationwide, was canceled after the city council was inundated with "hateful" and "racist" calls and e-mails.
 
After receiving the hate messages about the planned prayer by Kashif Abdul-Karim, resident imam for the Muhammad Islamic Center of Greater Hartford, the city council decided to change the Muslim prayer to an "interfaith moment of silence."
 
CAIR-CT: Hartford City Council Calls Off Islamic Invocation
Council President Winch Switches to Moment of Silence
Complaints Target Muslim Prayers at Conn. Meetings
SEE ALSO: Conn. Imam's House Targeted
 
 
At the Monday night vigil, Imam Kashif will offer a prayer in support of mutual understanding and community leaders of other faiths will offer messages of support. The city council will also be asked to allow Imam Kashif to offer a prayer at the next meeting on September 27.
 
"Elected officials should never bow to those who promote hatred and bigotry, but should instead stand on the principles of religious pluralism that made our nation the envy of the world," said CAIR-CT Executive Director Mongi Dhaouadi.
 
Earlier today, CAIR called on the FBI to launch a hate crime investigation of a burned copy of the Quran, Islam's holy text, found early yesterday at a Michigan mosque.
 
SEE: Burned Quran Found Outside East Lansing Mosque
CAIR-MI: Authorities Investigate Vandalism at Islamic Center (Video)
 
Yesterday CAIR called for federal hate crime charges to be brought against three men who allegedly painted a racist slur on a mosque in New York.
 
SEE: CAIR Seeks Federal Charges for Hate Graffiti at NY Mosque
 
 
Earlier this week, CAIR called on the FBI to investigate a possible bias motive for recent vandalism at a Phoenix mosque site.
 
CAIR-AZ: Phoenix Mosque Vandalism Being Investigated by FBI
 
Mosques in California, Tennessee, New York, Illinois, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Texas, and Florida have faced vocal opposition or have been targeted by hate incidents in recent months.
 
CAIR recently launched a national public service announcement (PSA) campaign designed to challenge growing Islamophobia in America.
 
SEE: American Muslims Speak Out: 9/11 Happened to Us All
Video: NY Anti-Mosque Protester Says Kill All Muslims
 
The Washington-based Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization also launched a "Learn, Don't Burn" educational initiative in response to an extremist Gainesville, Fla., church's now-canceled plan to burn copies of the Quran, Islam's holy text, on September 11.
 
SEE: CAIR Responds to Fla. Book Burning with Educational Campaign
 
 
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.
 
Become a Fan of CAIR on Facebook
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 CONTACT:

CAIR-CT Executive Director Mongi Dhaouadi, 860-514-8038, E-Mail: mdhaouadi@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, 202-488-8787, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

CAIR Seeks Federal Charges for Hate Graffiti at NY Mosque
 
(NEW YORK, NY, 9/11/2010) --

The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) today called for federal hate crime charges to be brought against three men who allegedly painted a racist slur on a mosque in that state.
 
Authorities say the men painted the slur "sand n**gers" and an obscenity on the back wall of the Hudson Islamic Center just after midnight Wednesday. They have been charged with aggravated harassment, conspiracy, making graffiti, and criminal mischief.
 
SEE: Message of Hate Leaves Painful Mark on a City
Third Person Charged with Vandalizing Hudson Islamic Center
Hudson Mosque Vandalism Suspect Freaks Out Before Court
 
 
"Federal civil rights charges would send the message that anti-Muslim hate will not be tolerated in our society," said CAIR-NY Board President Zead Ramadan.
 
Earlier this week, CAIR called on the FBI to investigate a possible bias motive for recent vandalism at a Phoenix mosque site.
 
CAIR-AZ: Phoenix Mosque Vandalism Being Investigated by FBI
Rachel Maddow Decries Growing Anti-Muslim Bigotry
Muslims in America Increasingly Alienated as Hatred Grows in Bible Belt
 
 
Mosques in California, Tennessee, New York, Illinois, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Texas, and Florida have faced vocal opposition or have been targeted by hate incidents in recent months.
 
CAIR recently launched a national public service announcement (PSA) campaign designed to challenge growing Islamophobia in America.
 
SEE: American Muslims Speak Out: 9/11 Happened to Us All
 
 
American Muslim individuals and institutions are also being urged to review advice on security procedures contained in CAIR's "Muslim Community Safety Kit."
 
SEE: 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.
 
Become a Fan of CAIR on Facebook 
Subscribe to CAIR's E-Mail List
 
 CONTACT:

CAIR-NY Community Affairs Director Faiza N. Ali, 212-870-2002, 718-724-3041, E-Mail: fali@cair.com; CAIR-NY Civil Rights Director Aliya Latif, 212-870-2002, 732-429-4268, E-Mail: alatif@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, 202-488-8787, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

 Opposition to 'mosque' directly linked to anti-Islam sentiment, poll shows

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 9/9/2010) --

A prominent national Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization today announced a major educational initiative in response to an extremist Gainesville, Fla., church's plan to burn copies of the Quran, Islam's holy text, on September 11.

SEE: Muslim Group to Distribute Replacement Qurans (CNN) CAIR Video: Fla. Muslims Battle Anti-Islam Sentiment Video: CAIR-OH Speaks Out Against Quran Burning Video: CAIR-OK Launches Awareness Campaign as Church Plans to Burn Qurans

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said its "Learn, Don't Burn" initiative will seek to distribute 200,000 copies of the Qurans to replace the 200 books that the Florida church plans to burn. The Qurans will be sponsored and distributed through CAIR's ongoing "Explore the Quran" campaign.

At a Capitol Hill news conference, CAIR said its executive director will offer the sermon for the end of Ramadan (Eid ul-Fitr) prayers in Gainesville on Friday and will hold a news conference in that city on Saturday following any Quran burnings.

In his Friday sermon, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad will outline how Muslims and people of other faiths should respond to the burning.

"This unfortunate behavior on the part of the church's officials should prompt stepped-up interfaith dialogue nationwide," said Awad. "People may be surprised to learn about the commonalities between the Quran, the Bible and the Torah."

Awad said research shows that there is a correlation between increasing knowledge of Islam and decreasing anti-Muslim prejudice -- a fact that prompted CAIR's new initiative. According to CAIR public opinion surveys, only two percent of Americans say they are "very knowledgeable" about Islam, and almost 60 percent say they are "not very knowledgeable" or "not at all knowledgeable" about the faith.

Today CAIR also released its new "Challenging Islamophobia" pocket guide, which offers tips on dealing with anti-Islam rhetoric on the Internet, in the workplace and in schools and universities. The guide also offers a definition of Islamophobia and advice for challenging anti-Muslim views espoused by public figures.

SEE: CAIR 'Challenging Islamophobia' Pocket Guide CAIR-AZ: Phoenix Mosque Vandalism Being Investigated by FBI CAIR-PA: Muslim Center Copes with Increased Islam-Bashing Yesterday, CAIR sent a letter today to CENTCOM Commander General James N. Mattis asking that he personally visit the Florida church to request that the September 11 burnings be cancelled.

SEE: CAIR Letter to Gen. Mattis

Last week, CAIR distributed public service announcements (PSAs) designed to challenge growing anti-Muslim sentiment in American society. Those PSAs have already been viewed by more than 12 million people.

Earlier this month, CAIR released an online toolkit designed to help Muslim communities organize proactive local educational and outreach initiatives such as a "National Day of Unity and Healing" on the upcoming anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

SEE: 'Teachable Moment Community Response Guide' Toolkit

The toolkit, called "A Teachable Moment Community Response Guide," offers guidance, tools and resources to help Muslim communities respond to specific current events such as the end of Ramadan Eid al-Fitr holiday occurring near September 11, the upcoming "Burn a Koran Day" by the Florida church, the anti-Muslim bigotry generated by the smear campaign against a planned Islamic community center in Manhattan, and the ongoing tension and misunderstanding surrounding the building or expansion of mosques nationwide.

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 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