(BALTIMORE, MD, 9/28/2022) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed a Maryland State Police investigation into the use of a target depicting a person of color at state-owned shooting range used by several law enforcement agencies.
Maryland State Police – along with investigators from the state’s Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services – began their investigation of the target, used at a state-owned range in Cumberland, Md., after an anonymous complaint last month. The target depicts a man with curly hair and dark skin. It appears to depict former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
In a report on the investigation by The Baltimore Sun, CAIR Deputy Executive Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“It’s hard to believe that in 2022, law enforcement agencies are still using pictures like this, of people of color or Muslims at shooting ranges. The fear is that this reinforces in the minds of law enforcement the notion that Muslims and people of color are dangerous, are the enemy.”
In a statement, CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry said:
“We welcome the state investigation into the use of this target, which depicts people of color as dangerous enemies, alienates officers of color and contributes to distrust between law enforcement agencies and the communities they are supposed to serve. We urge the range to stop using this and any other racially or ethnically charged images, and we urge all law enforcement agencies to hold periodic cultural competency trainings to raise awareness and understanding about the diverse racial and religious communities they serve.”
She noted that earlier this month, CAIR called on a North Carolina sheriff’s office to stop using a target that depicted a man in stereotypical Arab dress in an active shooter training.
SEE: CAIR Welcomes Transylvania Co. Sheriff’s Apology for Use of Stereotypical ‘Arab’ Target in School Shooter Training
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 Office in Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, [email protected], 410-971-6062; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]