The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned vandalism targeting a Minneapolis synagogue.
CAIR-MN also condemned racist flyers distributed in St. Paul, Minnesota.
CAIR-MN Executive Director Jaylani Husseintold MPR News in an interview today, “My heart goes out to Temple Israel, Rabbi Zimmerman and your community.”
In a statement, Hussein added:“We strongly condemn this unacceptable hate crime against Temple Israel, and we urge federal and state authorities to work as quickly as possible to identify and prosecute those responsible. The rise in attacks on houses of worship in Minnesota, from this antisemitic vandalism to numerous arsons at mosques, must end.”
CAIR-MN is urging community leaders to increase security protocols for religious institutions of all faiths.
Washington, D.C., based CAIR offers a “Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety” booklet to help keep religious facilities safe. The advice in the booklet is applicable to all houses of worship.
Yesterday, CAIR-MN held a press conference to repeat its call for an investigation of a possible bias motive for a second arson attempt at Al Hikma Mosque in Minneapolis.
CAIR and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging antisemitism, systemic anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
CAIR-MN is the state’s leading Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. Its mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACTS: Jaylani Hussein, Executive Director, CAIR-MN, 612-406-0070, jhussein@cair.com; Suleiman Adan, Deputy Director, CAIR-MN, 612-408-7183, sadan@cair.com