The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, and the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT), the nation’s pioneering and largest custodian of Islamic community properties, today opened registration for the first of several planned in-person regional safety trainings for mosques, Islamic private schools and other faith-based institutions.
The trainings – arranged in the wake of the terror attack on the Islamic Center of San Diego – provide guidance to mosques, private schools and individual community members about how to prevent, recognize and address threats, including active shooters.
The first training is scheduled to occur in two different segments in northern Virginia:
Part 1: Private Security Briefing for Imams, Masjid Board Members, School Leaders, and Other Nonprofit Leaders
📍 Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center (Falls Church, VA)
📅 Saturday, August 8, 2026
🕗 1:30 PM (immediately after Zuhr prayer; we recommend arriving early)
Registration required here: https://bit.ly/ProtectMosques
Part 2: Active Shooter Response Training for Broader Community
📍 Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center (Falls Church, VA)
📅 Saturday, August 8, 2026
🕗 5:30 PM (immediately after Asr prayer; we recommend arriving early)
Registration required here: https://bit.ly/MosqueSafety
[NOTE: registration is required, and all participants should expect to undergo security vetting in advance of the event]
Last month, NAIT and CAIR announced a regional safety trainings partnership. At the time, NAIT also announced the creation of the Resilience and Protection Waqf (endowment), a multi-million-dollar endowment fund designed to educate, train, equip, and protect American Muslim communities from rising anti-Muslim hate and violence. The Fund also intends to provide aid to families impacted by similar crimes.
CAIR continues to call on Muslim community leaders to utilize its current resources to help keep religious facilities safe:
- CAIR’s ‘Protecting Your Mosques’ Self-Defense Webinar in Wake of San Diego Mosque Terror Attack
- Introductory Section of Protecting Your Mosques Self-Defense Seminar
- CAIR Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety
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 Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor, 202-384-8857; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]