(WASHINGTON, DC – 6/26/2023) – On Tuesday, June 27, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) plans to join community partners at a news conference in Rockville, Md., to call on Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) to restore its opt-out option and parental notification policies for recently-introduced reading material and classroom discussions that some parents fear would force their children to violate their sincerely-held religious beliefs.
WHAT: Coalition News Conference and Rally to Restore Opt-Out in MCPS
WHEN: Tuesday, June 27, 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Montgomery County Public Schools Board of Education Carver Educational Center (North Entrance), 850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850
WHO: Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Family Rights & Religious Freedom Coalition (FRRF), Montgomery County Muslim Council (MCMC), ICNA Council for Social Justice (ICNA CSJ)
CONTACT: CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, zchaudry@cair.com, 410-971-6062; FRRF Chairman Wael Elkoshairi, 240-342-0394, outreach@frrfusa.org; MCM Outreach Coordinator Hisham Garti, outreach@mcmcmd.org
LIVESTREAM: https://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational
CAIR, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, is also co-hosting a series of events at Maryland mosques to educate parents about “Navigating Your Rights in Maryland Public Education.” The final event is scheduled for tonight in Silver Spring, Md.
Over the past several months, Muslim families have been calling for the Montgomery County Public Schools to restore the opt-out option the school district implemented last fall when it introduced curriculum and classroom discussions into English classes that some parents consider age-inappropriate, violative of their religious beliefs objectionable or otherwise inappropriate.
Thousands of Montgomery County residents have signed a petition calling on the school system to reverse course and at least 400 hundred demonstrators attended an MCPS school board meeting.
CAIR recently called on two elected officials in Montgomery County, Md., to apologize for offensive and disparaging remarks they made about Muslim parents and students in the Montgomery County public school system.
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 Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, 410-971-6062, zchaudry@cair.com; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@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