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Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

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Islamophobia in the US, June 5-16, 2016, CAIR Reports

June , 2016 

Editorial Note:

Islamphobia (exaggerated and baseless fear of Muslims) has been perpetrated and perpetuated to justify the continuous US wars and invasions of the Muslim World since 1990, in order for the war industry beneficiaries to justify the enormous and unprecedented US national debt, which has reached more than $19 trillion, as a result of the permanent-war military spending.

Tens of thousands of Americans are killed by non-Muslim other Americans every year, in gun violence. However, Islamophobes ignore that fact and focus on an incident or two perpetrated by Muslims in an entire year.

For example, in 2015, there were 53,228 shooting incidents, resulting in the killing of 13,415 Americans. Of these, there were only two incidents perpetrated by Muslims and resulting in the killing of 18 Americans.

The Zionist media, like Fox News and CNN, together with the  war industry agents and Zionist-controlled politicians like Trump, kept mentioning these two incidents while totally ignoring the other 53,226 incidents, which resulted in the killing of 13,398 Americans!

The end outcome is that the American people are indeed actual victims of a continuous warmongering campaign, Islamophobia, and a daily holocaust, perpetrated against them by the war industry beneficiaries and their agents in the media and politics.

For a background, read: 

Zionist Creative Destruction of the Middle East for the Benefit of the Apartheid Israeli Regime

The Terrorism Industry, A Merciless Continuous Attack on the American People's Blood and Treasure

 

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MEDIA ADVISORY


NEW DATE: CAIR, UC Berkeley Center to Release Report Exposing Funding of Islamophobic Groups in America

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/17/2016) � On Monday, June 20, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Center for Race and Gender at UC Berkeley will release a report detailing the more than $200 million provided to 33 Islamophobic groups nationwide in recent years.

[NOTE: The news conference will be live-streamed on CAIR's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational/ ]

The report, titled "Confronting Fear," also documents the negative impact of Islamophobia on American society and offers a four-point strategy designed to push back against the well-funded and well-coordinated promotion of anti-Muslim sentiment.

WHAT: Release of 'Confronting Fear' Report on Funding of Islamophobic Groups
WHEN: Monday, June 20, 11 a.m.
WHERE: CAIR's Capitol Hill Headquarters, 453 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, D.C. 20003
CONTACT: CAIR Department to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia Director Corey Saylor, 202-384-8857, csaylor@cair.com

Other issues covered in the report include the campaign to introduce anti-Islam bills in state legislatures, the laws passed in several states to change the way textbooks are approved based on anti-Islam campaigns, the recent spike in anti-mosque incidents, so-called "Muslim-free" businesses, and armed anti-Islam demonstrations at American mosques.

"The counter-Islamophobia strategy presented in 'Confronting Fear' offers specific advice on how to push back against the well-funded effort to promote and exploit anti-Muslim bigotry nationwide," said Corey Saylor, director of CAIR's Department to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia. "By advocating positive action on issues that are not necessarily directly about Muslims, but are nevertheless about the preservation of justice and human dignity, we remind our nation that Islam is a force for good in the society. The contributions of Muslims to America are significant, and we plan to expand that positive work."

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.

The Center for Race and Gender (CRG) is an interdisciplinary research center at the University of California, Berkeley that fosters explorations of race and gender, and their intersections. CRG cultivates critical and engaged research and exchange among faculty and students throughout the university, between the university and nearby communities of color, and among scholars in the Bay Area, in the U.S., and around the globe.

CONTACT: CAIR Department to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia Director Corey Saylor, 202-384-8857, csaylor@cair.com; Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project at the Center for Race and Gender at UC Berkeley Director Dr. Hatem Bazian, 510-914-6722, hatemb@berkeley.edu; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Nabeelah Naeem, 202-341-4171, nnaeem@cair.com

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CAIR Community Security Alert:


CAIR Urges Mosques to Take Added Security Measures Following Hate Incidents

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/16/16) �

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today urged Muslim community leaders to consider instituting additional security measures in the wake of the Orlando massacre and a number of recent hate incidents targeting Muslims and Islamic houses of worship.

CAIR is recommending particular attention be paid to security at tomorrow's weekly congregational prayers (jummah) and at nightly prayers associated with the Ramadan fast (taraweeh).

"Because of the recent tragic attack in Orlando and the anti-Muslim political climate, we urge local community leaders to seek increased police patrols in the areas surrounding mosques and Islamic institutions nationwide," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. "The targeting of one minority group by hate should not result in the targeting of another."

In response to incidents targeting Muslims and their institutions, CAIR printed additional copies of its booklet, "Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety."

Some Recent Anti-Muslim Incidents:

CAIR recommends that community leaders immediately:

1.  Request a stepped up police presence at local mosques.

2.  Ask local elected and public officials to issue statements condemning Islamophobia.

3.  Immediately report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR's Civil Rights Department at 202-742-6420 or civilrights@cair.com.

4.  Consider scheduling a town hall meeting to discuss the issue of growing Islamophobia and the need for community peace building.

Community leaders are also being asked to implement long-term safety measures outlined in CAIR's booklet, "Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety," which was published in response to previous attacks on American mosques.

A free copy of the booklet may be requested by going to: http://www.cair.com/mosque-safety-guide.html

CAIR's safety guide states in part:

"A general framework in which to think about institutional security falls within the following broad categories:

� Be Aware
� Assess Your Vulnerability
� Prepare and Plan
� Prevent
� Respond/Mitigate
� Recover

"This framework can be applied to all sorts of security issues, from hate graffiti to burglary or to an active-shooter episode. Decision-makers must decide which recommendations are best applied to their facility. They must also decide the order in which they will implement the process."

Other initial safety steps recommended in CAIR's guide include:

Develop a Legal Contact List

Develop a list of attorneys who are willing to be consulted by the Muslim community in response to backlash incidents. Ask Muslim attorneys to volunteer their services to community members during this time of crisis.

Develop Positive Relationships with Law Enforcement Agencies

Community leaders should, in cooperation with local civil rights advocates and attorneys, immediately coordinate meetings between representatives of the Muslim community and local and state law enforcement agencies. These meetings should focus on ways in which the community can help improve security and on how authorities can protect Muslims, Arab-Americans and other targeted minorities from harassment and discrimination.

Meet with Elected Officials to Discuss Community Concerns

Delegations of Muslim representatives should schedule meetings with local, state and national elected representatives or their key staff to discuss community concerns.

Build Coalitions with Interfaith and Minority Groups

Meetings should be coordinated with representatives of local interfaith and minority groups. These meetings should focus on building lines of communication and support, and hearing from these groups how they deal with discrimination and bigotry.

Meet with Local School Officials to Discuss Student Safety

Representatives of the Muslim community should meet with local school and school board officials to discuss safety plans for students and to sensitize the administrators to harassment of Muslim students.

Build an Emergency Contact List

Community leaders should develop emergency email, text message and phone contact lists to be used in case of an incident that threatens the community's safety. Local imams, Islamic center board members and Muslim activists should be on the lists. A second list should be developed containing contact information for all local law enforcement agencies.

Hold a Community Meeting to Inform Others of Safety Guidelines

Call for a meeting of the local Muslim community to discuss the information outlined in this kit. The meeting should take place at a local mosque or Islamic center and should be advertised using the emergency contact list.

Establish a Community Support Network

Establish a network of community members who can offer emotional and material support to those who may be the victims of hate crimes or discrimination. Victims should not be left alone to deal with the negative impact of such incidents. 

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, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Nabeelah Naeem, 202-341-4171, nnaeem@cair.com

***


CAIR Welcomes President Obama's Repudiation of Donald Trump's Anti-Muslim Rhetoric
Muslim civil rights group invites presumptive GOP nominee to Ramadan fast-breaking meal

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/14/16) �

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed remarks by President Barack Obama rebuking Donald Trump for his repeated use of anti-Muslim rhetoric and said such rhetoric undermines American values.

CAIR also invited the presumptive GOP presidential nominee to a Ramadan fast-breaking meal (iftar) to hear American Muslims explain why his rhetoric is having a negative impact on their community and the entire nation.

The president said today:

"And if we fall into the trap of painting all Muslims as a broad brush, and imply that we are at war with the entire religion, then we are doing the terrorists' work for them. . .We now have proposals from the presumptive Republican nominee for president of the United States to bar all Muslims from immigrating into America. And you hear language that singles out immigrants and suggests entire religious communities are complacent in violence.

"Where does this stop? The Orlando killer, one of the San Bernardino killers, the Fort Hood killer � they were all U.S. citizens. Are we going to start treating all Muslim-Americans differently? Are we going to start subjecting them to special surveillance? Are we going to start discriminating them because of their faith?. . .That's not the America we want."

Video: President Obama Repudiates Donald Trump's Anti-Muslim Rhetoric

The president's remarks were in reaction to Trump's speech Monday in which he repeated and enhanced his past anti-Muslim rhetoric.

SEE: Blaming Muslims After Attack, Donald Trump Tosses Pluralism Aside

"We welcome President Obama's principled defense of both the American Muslim community and the American values of religious freedom and respect for diversity," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. "We call on Donald Trump to end his use of divisive anti-Muslim and un-American rhetoric and to respect the Constitution and our nation's religious and ethnic pluralism."

Awad added: "In the spirit of the month of Ramadan, we invite Mr. Trump to CAIR's Capitol Hill office to share an iftar, or fast-breaking meal, to discuss the negative impact his rhetoric has on ordinary American Muslims and on the nation's unity."

He also called on GOP leaders to denounce Trump's "unhinged political rhetoric that is hurting America domestically and isolating it abroad."

Earlier this year, CAIR said Donald Trump's continued use of a debunked myth about U.S. Gen. John Pershing executing Muslim prisoners in the Philippines using bullets dipped in pig's blood was endangering ordinary American Muslims who were already facing a surge in hate.

SEE: CAIR Says Trump's Continued Use of 'Pig's Blood' Myth Endangers American Muslims

CAIR has previously stated that Trump's pig's blood claim and other instances of his Islamophobic rhetoric, including his calling for a ban on all Muslims entering the United States, his false claim that "Islam hates us," his refusal to rule out special IDs for American Muslims, and his willingness to consider closing down American mosques place millions of innocent, law-abiding citizens in the American Muslim community at risk.

CAIR has reported an unprecedented spike in anti-Muslim incidents nationwide since the Paris terror attacks, the San Bernardino shootings and Trump's bigoted call for a complete ban on Muslims entering the United States.

The Washington-based Muslim civil rights group is asking Muslim community members to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR's Civil Rights Department at 202-742-6420 or by filing a report at: http://www.cair.com/civil-rights/report-an-incident/view/form.html

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, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Nabeelah Naeem, 202-341-4171, nnaeem@cair.com

***

Partial List of CAIR's and the Muslim Community's Response to the Orlando Killings:

POSTPONED: Release of CAIR Islamophobia Report Delayed Due to Orlando Massacre

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/13/16) �

The Tuesday release of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) report "Confronting Fear" will be delayed until further notice due to Sunday's horrific massacre in Orlando.

CAIR had scheduled a news conference for Tuesday morning to release the report. That news conference has been canceled.

"Our prayers are with the Orlando victims and their families," said Corey Saylor, director of CAIR's Department to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia. "A forthright discussion about all forms of bias is vital to our nation. However, it is our belief that in the wake of this weekend's tragedy in Orlando, our nation should focus on addressing anti-LGBT hate."

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 Department to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia Director Corey Saylor, 202-384-8857, E-Mail: csaylor@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com

***

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Alert: American Muslims Asked to Prepare for Muhammad Ali Funeral Prayer

(WASHINGTON, D.C, 6/5/2016) �

A coalition of national American Muslim organizations is asking localcommunities to make preparations to attend the funeral prayer (salat al-janazah) for Muhammad Ali scheduled to be offered at noon Thursday in Louisville, Ky.

(NOTE: Community members are encouraged to use #GenAli on social media to explain how they will continue his legacy.)

The location of the prayer will be announced as plans are finalized.

Communities that are unable to send representatives to the Louisville funeral prayer are being asked to organize local prayers, called "salat al-ghaib" (sa-lat all-guy-ib), which are performed for Muslims who have died in a distant place. Those prayers could be offered either before the nightly Ramadan taraweeh or after jummah prayers on Friday.

(SEE SAMPLE MEDIA ADVISORY BELOW: Georgia Muslims to Hold Interfaith Memorial Service, Funeral Prayers for Muhammad Ali)

MEDIA NOTE: American Muslim leaders will hold a news conference in Louisville, Ky., just prior to the funeral prayers to highlight the historic impact of Muhammad Ali's life and to explain Islamic funeral practices. (SEE BELOW: Backgrounder: Islamic Funeral Practices)

Yesterday, local and national Muslim leaders held a news conference in Washington, D.C., to honor the legacy of Muhammad Ali

Video: U.S. Muslim Leaders Honor Muhammad Ali's Legacy at D.C. News Conference in front of Masjid Muhammad


Muslim Leaders at DC Mosque Remember Muhammad Ali

Later this week, a suggested sermon (khutba) outlining Muhammad Ali's importance to the American Muslim community and to the way Islam is viewed in our nation will be distributed to Islamic prayer leaders (imams) who will conduct the normal congregational prayers (jummah) this Friday.

CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; MPAC Media and Public Affairs Director Rabiah Ahmed, 202-439-1441, Rabiah@mpac.org

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Georgia Muslims to Hold Interfaith Memorial Service, Funeral Prayers for Muhammad Ali

(ATLANTA, GA, 6/5/16) �

On Thursday, June 9, Georgia's Muslim community plans to hold an interfaith memorial service (6 p.m.) for Muhammad Ali at the Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam, Georgia's oldest Muslim house of worship.

SEE: Atlanta Memorial Service for the Late, Great Muhammad Ali

In addition to the memorial service, mosques across Georgia plan to conduct funeral prayers for the renowned athlete and humanitarian on Friday after each mosque's weekly congregational service, which begin between 1:45 and 2:00 pm, and end between 2:30 and 3:00 pm. 

The funeral prayers, called "salat al-ghaib" (sa-lat all-guy-ib), are performed for Muslims who have died in a distant place.

"One of Muhammad Ali's many iconic moments occurred when he lit the 1996 Olympic flame here in Atlanta," event organizers said. "It is only fitting that Atlanta Muslims unite with our neighbors of all backgrounds to thank God for Muhammad Ali."

During the Thursday evening memorial service, Georgians from diverse communities plan to discuss what Muhammad Ali's legacy means to them.

"Muhammad Ali spoke out against racism and war. He stood up for faith and reconciliation," said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, Executive Director of the Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "He was a role model�not only for Muslims, African-Americans, and athletes, but for all people who champion peace and justice."

"He was a hero to all of us and he gave all of us hope in the future," said Rev. Dr. Fahed Abu Akel, a Palestinian Christian who met Ali in Atlanta. "He loved his family. He loved his faith in God. He loved living. He loved the community and gave his time to raise money for great causes all over America and around the world."

Georgians interested in attending the memorial service at Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam should RSVP on Facebook or by emailing info@ga.cair.com. Space is limited.

Participating Organizations Include:

* AtlantaMuslim.com
* CAIR Georgia
* Council of Masajid (Mosques) of Metropolitan Atlanta
* Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta
* Roswell Community Masjid

CONTACT: CAIR-Georgia Executive Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell; 404-285-9530; emitchell@cair.com

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CAIR Backgrounder: Islamic Funeral Practices

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/5/16) -

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, today issued an outline of Islamic funeral and burial rites as background information for journalists.

There are five main points for the preparation of a Muslim's body for burial.

1. WASHING THE BODY - Family members often assist in the washing. Men wash a man's body. Women wash a woman's body. Either men or women may wash a child's body. A husband may wash his wife's body and vice-versa if the need arises.

2. WRAPPING THE BODY - The shroud used for wrapping the body must be a clean (preferably white) cloth and should cover the whole body. The shroud is tied at the head and feet, with a piece of cloth (from the same shroud) in such a way that one can differentiate the head from the feet.

3. PRAYERS - Those praying stand in rows facing the direction of Mecca, with the prayer leader in front. The body (or bodies) is placed in front of the congregation. The worshipers make a personal intention to offer a funeral prayer. They say "God is Great," then fold their hands on their chests. The opening chapter of the Quran, Islam's revealed text, is read quietly. Prayers are recited for the deceased, the Prophets Abraham and Muhammad, and for the Muslim community. Saying "peace be to you" concludes the prayer. The entire funeral prayer is performed while standing.

4. FUNERAL PROCESSION - Mourners walk in front of or beside the body. Those who are riding or driving should follow it. Silence is recommended.

5. BURIAL - The body is laid in the grave. No casket is used unless there is a need for it, e.g., if the soil is very loose or wet. Each person present shares in filling the grave by pouring three handfuls of soil.

The Prophet Muhammad said: "(Weeping) is the mercy that God has placed in the hearts of His servants." The Prophet also said that only good things should be remembered about a person's life after he or she dies.

***

Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Ave, S.E., Washington, D.C., 20003
Council on American-Islamic Relations Copyright © 1994. All rights reserved.

***

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