On Wednesday, Aug. 28 (noon), the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) will hold a noon press conference to address a disturbing incident that occurred Monday in Lino Lakes, Minnesota, in which CAIR-MN’s Executive Director Jaylani Hussein was reportedly accosted and forced out of Lino Lakes City Hall by supporters of Councilmember Christopher Lyden.
The confrontation came after a work session in which Councilmember Lyden’s recent Islamophobic email was on the agenda. The email, sent in response to a New York Times article about the Madinah Lakes development project, contained inflammatory and hateful statements, including claims that “Islam hates us” and that the Quran is “hate speech against Jews and Christians.”
Hussein reported the incident to the police.
At the news conference, CAIR-MN will call on the Lino Lakes City Council to take immediate action, including:
- Formally repudiating Councilmember Lyden’s Islamophobic statements.
- Conducting an ethical review of his conduct, with potential disciplinary actions, including his resignation.
WHAT: Press Conference
WHERE: CAIR-Minnesota’s Office, 1821 University Avenue W #306, St Paul, MN 55104
WHEN: Wednesday, August 28, 12 PM CT
CONTACT: Jaylani Hussein, Executive Director, CAIR-MN, Tel: (612) 406-0070, Email: jhussein@cair.com; Suleiman Adan, Deputy Executive Director, CAIR-MN, Tel: (612) 406-7183, Email: sadan@cair.com; Osman Ahmed, Director of Advocacy, CAIR-MN, Tel: (612) 459-0334, Email: o-ahmed@cair.com
CAIR-MN’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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