The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, welcomed a hate crime charge against Randy D. Velleff for his violent assault in Glenview, Illinois.
“The hate crime charge is an important step toward holding individuals accountable for bigoted actions, especially in today’s climate where polarization is at an all-time high and one-sided narratives are the primary source of information for many Americans,” said Maggie Slavin, CAIR-Chicago’s Operations Manager. “We have seen direct links between the dehumanization of marginalized groups and the alarming rise in hate crimes reported to our office.”
CAIR-Chicago’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
END
CONTACT: Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR Chicago, 202-870-0166, arehab@cair.com; Maggie Slavin, Operations Manager of CAIR-Chicago, 815-590-3991, mslavin@cair.com; Hafsa Haider, Communications Coordinator of CAIR-Chicago, 561-317-7509, hhaider@cair.com