(MIAMI, FL, 4/5/17) – The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on an election official in that state to cancel an apparently Islamophobic presentation he plans to offer to voters and poll workers tomorrow.
Supervisor of Elections Paul Stamoulis is scheduled to present what he calls a “history of radical Islam” at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Cultural Center of Port Charlotte. Stamoulis sent an email to poll workers urging them to attend the presentation. Stamoulis claims his presentation is part of a “voter education” initiative.
SEE: Election Supervisor’s Islam Presentation Raises Eyebrows
“It is entirely inappropriate for an official, whose job it is to ensure fair and non-partisan elections, to engage in such polarizing behavior that has nothing to do with the voting process,” said CAIR-Florida Communications Director Wilfredo A. Ruiz.
Yesterday, CAIR-FL called on law enforcement authorities in that state to treat an alleged anti-Muslim threat to a family as a hate crime.
SEE: CAIR-Florida Urges Hate Crime Prosecution of Anti-Muslim Threat to Family
CAIR recently decried what it termed the Trump administration’s “deafening silence” on a growing number of anti-Muslim incidents in recent days, part of an unprecedented spike in anti-Muslim incidents nationwide that began during the recent presidential campaign and accelerated following the November 8 election.
CAIR-OK Releases 2016 Civil Rights Report Showing Spike in Anti-Muslim Hate Incidents
Since the beginning of the year, CAIR has called for investigations of possible bias motives for 35 incidents targeting mosques in Colorado, Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Kentucky, Georgia, Arizona, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Texas, and a number of other states. By comparison, in the January-March period in 2016, CAIR recorded 19 such incidents.
CAIR: This Map Shows How Many Mosques Have Been Targeted Just This Year (CNN)
In a soon-to-be-published report, CAIR will detail a more than 50 percent increase in anti-Muslim bias incidents in 2016 over 2015. That figure is accompanied by a more than 40 percent increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes in the same period.
CAIR is asking American Muslims and Islamic institutions to take extra security precautions and is offering Muslim community leaders free copies of its booklet, “Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety.” The booklet may be requested through CAIR’s website: http://www.cair.com/mosque-safety-guide.html
The Washington-based civil rights and advocacy organization urges 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.
La misión de CAIR es mejorar la comprensión del Islam, fomentar el diálogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Florida Communications Director Wilfredo A. Ruiz, [email protected], 305-502-6749; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]