In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
“And ˹remember˺ when We took a covenant from the prophets, as well as from you ˹O Prophet Muhammad˺, and from Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, son of Mary. We did take a solemn covenant from ˹all of˺ them.” The Holy Quran, 33:7
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) frequently stated: “There is no faith in (a person) who is not trustworthy and there is no religion in (anyone) who does not respect (their) covenant.” Al-Tirmidhi
Op-Ed: Zahra Billoo on Palestine, Islamophobia & Interfaith Work | Muslim AP Students Must Request Eid Accommodation By March 15 | CAIR Condemns ‘Slave Auction’ at N.C. School
In My Own Words: The Way Forward on Interfaith Collaboration
The harm I have suffered through the bigotry of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestine activists is a fraction of what Palestinians experience daily. My discomfort is the least I can undertake to mitigate the harms my tax dollars cause. — Zahra Billoo serves as executive director of CAIR-San Francisco Bay Area.
Video: CAIR on AIR Features Discussion on FBI v. Fazaga Ruling, Next Steps with Plaintiff, Attorneys
CAIR hosted a Facebook live discussion on the recent Supreme Court ruling in FBI v. Fazaga, a case challenging the FBI’s discriminatory surveillance of Muslims in Southern California. The discussion outlined the next steps in the case, will feature plaintiff Sheikh Yassir Fazaga and CAIR-Los Angeles attorneys Amr Shabbaik and Dina Chehata.
Photo: Oklahoma Governor Welcomes Muslims to CAIR-OK’S 8th Annual Oklahoma Muslim Day at the Capitol
Video: CAIR-Oklahoma Hosts Muslim Day at State Capitol
Community Advisory: CAIR Urges Muslim Students to Request Religious Accommodation for AP Exams Before March 15 Deadline
Muslim civil rights group says AP exams may conflict with end-of-Ramadan Eid al-Fitr holiday
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today announced that Muslim students enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) classes who want to attend Eid prayers on or should request a religious accommodation by the deadline of March 15th.
The College Board, the administrator for all Advanced Placement exams, has informed CAIR that Muslim students wishing to avoid conflicting AP exams with Eid al-Fitr, the holiday celebrated to mark the end of Ramadan, should fill out a request by contacting their AP coordinators for a late exam before March 15, 2022.
Link to Late Testing Information for AP Exams
Students should contact their AP coordinators and follow required steps by March 15.
All students have a right to reasonable accommodation in schools and should take whatever measures to ensure they do not have conflicting schedules with their exams. Students who request late testing for a religious holiday or observance do not incur an additional fee. The College Board has assured CAIR that students have the right to request this accommodation.
CAIR Condemns Racist Threats Against Black Students in Maryland, Racist Message on Electronic Street Sign
Three students at Middletown Middle School in Frederick Co. allegedly posted threatening, racist images on Instagram and Snapchat. The threats were reportedly aimed at Black students at the school, and the images featured what appeared to be firearms, although these were later found to be fake by the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office. The students have been suspended, and the school district condemned the incident.
Maryland State Police are searching for the person or persons who altered an electronic street sign to display a racial slur in Hagerstown. Police received a report about the message after midnight on March 9. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Maryland State Police at the Hagerstown Barrack at 301-766-3800.
“Racism and bigotry must not be tolerated in schools or in any part of society,” said CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry. “We urge communities in Maryland and nationwide to come together to oppose the rising tide of hate.”
CAIR Welcomes Failure of Wyoming Bills to Ban Anti-Racism Teaching
Those bills, designed to address the manufactured controversy of teaching of critical race theory (CRT), have failed to advance for consideration in the legislature.
According to the American Bar Association, “CRT recognizes that racism is not a bygone relic of the past. Instead, it acknowledges that the legacy of slavery, segregation, and the imposition of second-class citizenship on Black Americans and other people of color continue to permeate the social fabric of this nation.”
SEE: A Lesson on Critical Race Theory
“These counterproductive hot-button bills, based on a manufactured controversy, only serve to further divide our nation and keep young people in ignorance about the history of anti-Black racism in our nation,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper.
CAIR Condemns ‘Slave Auction’ at N.C. School, Calls on School Board to Offer Anti-Racist Curriculum
A mother in Chatham County said her son experienced a “slave auction” at J.S. Waters school in Goldston last week. A group of white students at the school reportedly auctioned off Black students for money, with one student playing the role of “slavemaster.” The mother said she had a video of students “harmonizing racial slurs.” The mother said the students who participated in the auction had been suspended for a day, but said no punishment was handed down to those seen in the video.
After returning from suspension, one of the students who allegedly participated in the slave auction reportedly hit one of the Black students with a baseball repeatedly, claiming it was accidental. Other racist incidents, including the use of racial slurs targeted towards Black students, have been reported in the district. Chatham County Schools recently sent out a community letter condemning the incidents
“Racist acts of bullying and intimidation cannot be tolerated in schools,” said CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison. “We urge the school district to offer anti-racist curriculum to students to help ensure these kinds of alleged hate incidents do not continue to occur.”