(WASHINGTON, D.C. – 7/28/2022) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)today joined the US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO) and other national Muslim groups, at a news conference in Washington, D.C., to demand Attorney General Merrick Garland’s urgent action on the unjust detention of Virginia civil rights attorney Asim Ghafoor by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
[NOTE: Ghafoor is reported to have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 complications.]
WATCH TODAY’S NEWS CONFERENCE.
[NOTE: Members of Congress also held a similar news conference today in support of Asim Ghafoor.]
Ghafoor, who represented murdered Washington Post writer Jamal Khashoggi and serves as a board member with Democracy for the Arab World Now, was arrested earlier this month while transiting through the UAE.
Video: CAIR’s Nihad Awad Interviewed About the Unjust Detention of Asim Ghafoor by UAE Authorities
In a letter to Attorney General Garland, USCMO Secretary General Oussama Jammal wrote in part:
“Mr. Ghafoor’s basic human rights are in jeopardy. He has thus far been denied due process and all indications are that this will continue. It is imperative that the Department of Justice take immediate action to ensure that an American citizen’s legal rights are protected and that he receives due process in accordance with the highest standards. This is particularly crucial when a civil rights lawyer is being detained overseas.”
Following Ghafoor’s detention, CAIR warned Americans engaged in human rights activism related the Middle East, especially American Muslim activists, to avoid travel to or transit through the UAE.
CAIR also welcomed the United States Department of State refutation of “transparent lies” by the UAE following that nation’s detention of Asim Ghafoor. CAIR also criticized a statement by those same officials that a “fair” trial was even possible in the UAE, which has a documented history of human rights abuses.
After his arrest by UAE authorities, CAIR joined Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) in calling on the Biden administration to demand Ghafoor’s immediate release.
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.
Become a Fan of CAIR on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational
Subscribe to CAIR’s Email List
https://action.cair.com/a/newsletters
Subscribe to CAIR’s Twitter Feed
http://twitter.com/cairnational
Subscribe to CAIR’s YouTube Channel
Follow CAIR on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cair_national/
Donate to CAIR
https://action.cair.com/a/donate
Do you like reading CAIR press releases and taking part in our action alerts? You can help contribute to CAIR’s work of defending civil rights and empowering American Muslims across the country by making a one-time contribution or becoming a monthly donor. Supporters like you make CAIR’s advocacy work possible and defeating Islamophobia an achievable goal. Click here to donate to CAIR.
You are receiving this email due to your interest selection from commercial media databases. If you would like to join CAIR’s media list, please sign up here: https://action.cair.com/a/newsletters — For more information, email: info@cair.com, CC ihooper@cair.com
END
CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com