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Virginia – CAIR’s Community Advocacy Department helped a mosque secure justice after months of reported harassment at the hands of their Islamophobic neighbor. The campaign of harassment the mosque endured over the course of several months included trespassing, screaming and cursing at worshipers during prayer, insulting Islam and Ramadan, surreptitiously filming congregants, and erroneously reporting them to the police for gathering at the mosque.
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As a result, membership dwindled, leadership had to cancel programming for youth and teens due to security concerns, and the community had to pay thousands to implement additional security measures.
This month, the alleged harasser appeared before a court. CAIR wrote letters to both the judge and the prosecutor in the case detailing the severity of the harasser’s conduct and its impact on the community. CAIR received an update from the community after the first hearing that the prosecutor was “highly appreciative of the letter CAIR provided. In fact, the prosecutor shared that [CAIR’s] letter was instrumental in framing the case.”
The prosecutor reportedly plans to read portions of CAIR’s letter during the sentencing hearing. The community feels as though justice is finally being served and that they can rebuild after being relegated to worshiping in fear for the past several months. This case is part of CAIR’s initiative, in which we take on advocacy cases from the community, and they become a #CommunityJusticeMatter.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com