CAIR Position Statement – Islam and Apostasy
Muslim scholars say the original rulings on apostasy were similar to those for treasonous acts in legal systems worldwide and do not apply to an individual’s choice of religion. Islam advocates both freedom of religion and freedom of conscience, a position supported by verses in the Quran, Islam’s revealed text, such as: “If it had […]
CAIR Honors the Legacy of Judge Robert M. Takasugi
(LOS ANGELES, CA, 9/15/09) – The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations today issued a statement on the passing of Judge Robert M. Takasugi, who was appointed in 1976 to the Central District of California and was the first Japanese American to become a federal judge. Prior to becoming a […]
CAIR-OK Co-Hosts Community Disaster Response Training
(OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, 9/14/09) – On Labor Day weekend, the Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OK) co-hosted a community disaster response training in partnership with the American Red Cross of Central Oklahoma, NAACP, Latino Community Development Agency (LCDA), and Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. SEE: Oklahoma Minority Groups Link for Disaster […]
Muslims Hold 9/11 Vigil at White House
…Just before sundown, about 40 people gathered in Lafayette Square for a prayer vigil to remember the victims and survivors and to seek peaceful resolution of world divisions. “True justice can be achieved without violence,” said Ann Mulderry, whose son Stephen was killed in the South Tower. “I want to believe you can find peace […]
Student Held 5 Hours Over Arabic Flash Cards
Eight years after 9/11, we’re used to changes in our routines. We show ID to get into office buildings, and take off our shoes at airports. But should a college student flying back to school be handcuffed and held for five hours because he has Arabic flash cards in his backpack? That’s the way Nick […]
FL: Anti-Islam Demonstrators March While Muslims Serve the Needy
The Dove World Outreach Center, a Gainesville church known for its anti-Islamic message, staged a march and demonstration in front of the Oaks Mall on Friday afternoon. About 30 participants weaved their way through the mall parking lot and went out on the sidewalk on Newberry Road shortly after 5 p.m. They were wearing T-shirts […]
ACLU: Time for America to Ban Racial Profiling (CNN)
[Editor’s note: Chandra Bhatnagar is a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s Human Rights Program and principal author of “The Persistence of Racial and Ethnic Profiling in the United States,” recently submitted to the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.] (CNN) — Earlier this month, one of the biggest movie stars […]
CAIR-NY Co-Sponsors Manhattan Borough President Iftar
(NEW YORK, NY, 9/01/09) – On Wednesday, September 2, the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) will join community members at the Second Annual Iftar Dinner hosted by Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer. (An “iftar” is a Ramadan fast-breaking meal.) This year’s honorees include Jerrilynn Dodds, Dean of the College […]
CAIR-MI Joins Rep. Conyers for Panel on Hate Crimes Bill
(SOUTHFIELD, MI, 9/1/09) – A representative of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) yesterday participated in a panel discussion on the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crime Prevention Act of 2009 at St. Peter AME Zion Church in Hamtramck. Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Congressman John Conyers (D-MI), who is the […]
CAIR Asks for Probe of Bias Motive in Shooting at Maine Mosque
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 9/1/09) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called on state and national law enforcement authorities in Maine to investigate a possible bias motive in a shooting incident outside a Portland mosque that left one person seriously injured. Police say the victim, a 25-year-old Muslim of Somali heritage, had been participating in […]