The Michigan chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today announced the launch of a new safety toolkit for mosques and Islamic schools. This toolkit is being released amid increased threats and safety concerns affecting Muslim communities nationwide — including the deadly May 2026 attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego.
Developed through CAIR-MI’s Safe Spaces department, the toolkit provides practical guidance to help institutions strengthen emergency preparedness, assess existing safety practices, prepare for potential emergencies, and build proactive relationships with local law enforcement.
“Safety and preparedness should not begin when an emergency happens. Our goal is not to create fear, but to make sure our mosques and Islamic schools have the plans, relationships, and resources in place before they are needed,” said Soobia Kidwai, Director of Safe Spaces, CAIR-MI. “Building relationships with local law enforcement and understanding how to respond in an emergency are important steps toward creating safer spaces for our communities.”
“As part of the rollout, CAIR-MI Safe Spaces will also encourage mosques and Islamic schools to connect with their local police departments for facility safety and security assessments and to establish relationships before an emergency occurs,” said Dawud Walid, CAIR-MI Executive Director.
Mosques and Islamic schools interested in receiving the Safety Toolkit can contact CAIR-MI Safe Spaces at: (248) 559-2247, Email: [email protected]
BACKGROUNDER: CAIR recently responded to a number of anti-Muslim hate incidents nationwide.
Earlier this week, Washington, D.C.-based CAIR welcomed an arrest of a suspect in an allegedly bias-motivated spitting attack on a Muslim woman in Kentucky.
CAIR’s Maryland office condemned the reported harassment of multiple Muslim women wearing Islamic headscarves, or hijabs, at a market in Montgomery County.
CAIR’s Los Angeles office recently condemned the violent online threats responding to an online anti-Muslim smear campaign targeting the Islamic Center of Irvine (ICOI).
In New York, CAIR called on local, state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate reported hate vandalism targeting a mosque site on Long Island as a possible hate crime.
CAIR’s Florida chapter welcomed charges for an alleged plot to carry out a mass shooting at a mosque.
Its Michigan chapter welcomed federal charges against an Alaska man accused of making threats to injure and murder Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud and issuing violent, Islamophobic threats against Muslims.
Its Pittsburgh and Philadelphia chapters welcomed the City of Erie’s response to reported threats targeting the local Muslim community and urged authorities to remain vigilant in protecting residents from anti-Muslim hate and intimidation.
CAIR also welcomed the federal indictment of a Utah man on a hate crime charge for allegedly stabbing a Muslim man at the West Valley Mall in West Valley City, Utah.
CAIR’s latest civil rights report documented 8,683 anti-Muslim bias complaints in 2025 – the highest number ever recorded by the organization since it began publishing civil rights reports in 1996.
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
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CONTACT: CAIR-MI Director of Safe Spaces, Soobia Kidwai (248) 716-5086 [email protected]; CAIR-MI Lead Staff Attorney, Amy V. Doukoure (586) 943-8823, [email protected]