Cair newsletter 1

April 2014 Issue

TAKING A STAND FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN

pg. 1

Quarterly Newsletter

In This Issue

Early in March, CAIR learned of “Alice in Arabia,” a planned series on ABC Family channel. The channel’s own promotional materials talked about “about an Ameri-can teenage girl kidnapped by her extend-ed royal Saudi Arabian family and forced to live with them” and made reference to the main character “surviving life behind the veil.”

We immediately contacted ABC Family to express concerns about potential ste-reotyping in the program. After we made these concerns a public issue – resulting in many critical media reports - ABC Family called to set up a meeting with CAIR and other Muslim and Arab-American groups.

In a letter to ABC Family, CAIR expressed that we were “concerned about the negative impact this program could have

You Spoke. ABC Listened.CAIR obtains the cancellation of a bigoted TV show

on the lives of ordinary Arab-American and American Muslims” and that the series “may engage in stereotyping that can lead to things like bullying of Muslim students.”

Through a collective effort, and with the support of thousands of activists on social media, we sent the clear message that stereotypes should not be tolerated and promoted.

Over the next few days – and after a draft script for the series pilot was leaked - pressure on the channel grew. ABC Family finally announced: “The current conversation surrounding our pilot was not what we had envisioned and is certainly not conducive to the creative process, so we’ve decided not to move forward with this project.”

Table of Contents- On the Hill: Youth + Civic Engagement, pg. 2

- CAIR-CA’s Bullying Report Findings, pg. 3

- Service is Part of My Faith, pg. 3

- Quran Project Reaches Inmates, pg. 4

- Success in FL Textbook Case, pg. 5

- Highlights from CAIR’s Mailbag, pg. 7ABC Family channel responds to community’s call to cancel “Alice in Arabia” show

Challenging Islamophobia in the Criminal Justice System

Protesting 12 Years of Injustice

CAIR succeeds in discrediting an Islamophobic police trainer in V.A., pg. 3

CAIR calls for shut down of Guantanamo, pg. 2

Faith in Action: Quarterly CAIR Newsletter April 2014

pg. 2

On January 11, 2014, 12 years after the military prison at Guantanamo opened, activists gathered all over the country to implore President Obama to keep his word and shut down the prison for good. In Wash-ington, CAIR representatives joined Code Pink, Amnesty Interna-tional, the Center for Constitutional Rights and other activists in a march from the White House to the doors of the National Museum of American History, asking President Obama to permanently make Guantanamo a part of America’s history.

“Guantanamo has no place in America’s present or its future,” said Kjrstin Berg of CAIR.

As of July 2013, 166 detainees remain in the prison camp without charge or trial. Nearly half of these prisoners have been approved for release, yet none have been cleared for transfer. In a 2008 interview with “60 Minutes,” President Obama told the nation, “I have said re-peatedly that I intend to close Guantanamo and I will follow through on that. I have said repeatedly that America doesn’t torture, and I’m going to make sure that we don’t torture. Those are part and parcel of an effort to regain America’s moral stature in the world.”

The 250,000 American Muslims living in or nearby the nation’s capital are placed right in the middle of some of the most heated and interesting conversations that are shaping our nation.

In February, CAIR Government Affairs Manager Rob-ert McCaw had the opportunity to speak at this year’s DC Muslim Interscholastic Tournament (DC MIST) panel, #BreakingTheBubble: What’s Trending In D.C. Presenters discussed with Muslim teens what it means to have a vote in the D.C./Maryland/Virginia area

CAIR Renews Call to Shut Down Guantanamo on 12 Year Anniversary

and how to form their own opinions as well as becoming active for their own causes.

“It’s more than having a vote in D.C., it’s sharing the same space with those elected to represent us, to be within hear-ing distance, and if you know how to organize right, to meet with.” said McCaw to a room packed with over 100 aspiring Muslim teen activists.

McCaw also advised workshop participants, “Hopefully what compels you is inspired by your faith, and that is to do good for others. As a community we must vote regularly and with force. The benefit of civic en-gagement is that our community’s voice will be positively heard by policy makers and our leaders.”

On the Hill: InspiringYouth to Be Civically EngagedCAIR Presents at D.C. MIST 2014

A CAIR National staffer presents at DC MIST

We couldn’t agree more. Marching in the rain, we joined together and sang, “It’s time to be honest/ each mem-ber of Congress/ President Obama/ make good on your promise.” CAIR is against indefinite detention and torture of any kind and is hopeful that soon Guantana-mo will be only a shameful part of America’s past and a lesson for the future.

CAIR’s Executive Director speaks at the rally

S t a n d i n g f o r J u s t i c e

C i v i c E n g a g e m e n t

April 2014

pg. 3

Faith in Action: Quarterly CAIR Newsletter

On one of the coldest days of the season, over 40 volunteers filed into CAIR’s National Headquarters just blocks from the Capitol to make sandwiches and pack care packages for more than 200 homeless individuals in Washing-ton, D.C. Using crowd sourced funds to purchase materials in bulk and items donated by the volunteers themselves, the group made over 200 care packages and bagged lunches to distribute on foot to the needy at Frankin Park and a shelter on D Street NE. Packages included a backpack, socks, blanket, gloves, toiletries, and other items.

The service project will happen at the CAIR office on the last Saturday of each month and will continue throughout the year, inshaAllah. To get involved or to donate supplies, please contact [email protected].

CAIR National teams up with MakeSpace and Warmth in the City to give back to those in need this season

CAIR-California released a first-of-its-kind report docu-menting bias-based bullying of American Muslim stu-dents in that state’s schools.

The new report reveals that nearly half of Muslim students say they have been subjected to some form of bias-based bullying. The findings are based on a state-wide survey of almost 500 Muslim students, ages 11 to 18. They were asked questions about their relationships with peers and teachers, as well as their comfort levels participating in discussions about Islam and Muslims.

“Being called ‘terrorist’ or ‘Bin Laden’ is still a reality for many American Muslim students,” said CAIR-LA Civil Rights Manager Fatima

Dadabhoy.

“Throughout the course of this study, we were alarmed to find that many Muslim students didn’t even deem this as a form of bullying. Through this report, we hope to show that a decision to dismiss mistreatment as a natural consequence of being Muslim in America, or simply part of growing up, is unacceptable and normalizes a toxic school environment.”

The report can be downloaded at ca.cair.com/downloads/GrowingInFaith.pdf.

MakeSpace Volunteers fill the CAIR office to make, assemble, and deliver care packages for those in need.

CAIR-California Releases Report on Bullying

Service Is Part of My Faith: Helping the Homeless

Y o u t h I s s u e s

H e l p i n g O t h e r s


pg. 4

Quran Project Update: Reaching Muslim InmatesWith the latest phase of the Quran project underway, for the first time we printed 5,000 copies of The Message of the Quran (translated by Muhammad Asad) in a paperback volume. These were designated mainly for distribution to our brothers and sisters in prisons through-out the United States. To date, we have dis-tributed over 4,900 copies, leaving us with less than 100 copies remaining in our warehouse.

“Many prisons in the US rely solely on donations of religious mate-rials as the states cannot provide state funds due to the separation of church and state,” explained Quran Project Manager Laurie Jaghlit.

Chaplains were contacting CAIR in record numbers requesting copies for Muslim inmates and for the prison libraries. The Message of the Quran is an especially desired copy of the Quran because it includes the Arabic, English, transliteration, historical notes, and detailed commentary. Since Muslim volunteers in the prison system are very limited, Muslim inmates do not always have a knowledgeable person available to teach them Arabic and Islam, so the fact that this edition comes with the transliter-ation and commentary are extremely valuable components that help inmates to teach them-selves.

“I cannot think of a better compan-ion for our incarcerated brothers and sisters than this copy of the Quran,” Laurie added.

“The Muslims in our jails and prisons need our support and what better way to give it to them than by providing them with lifelong knowledge about their faith through the Quran.”

CAIR is currently looking into ordering additional copies to meet this growing need in our community. While this edition is a more expensive version than most English-only copies that are currently distributed in prisons, we believe, based on the testimonials we have received from the prison chaplains, that it is worth every penny.

We still need to raise about $40,000 to print and ship an additional 5,000 copies. The demand is great; the reward is greater. Please go to www.explorethequran.com to make a general donation to this effort or contact us at [email protected].

Together, we can give our brothers and sisters in prison quality material to assist in their spiritual growth and development.

E n h a n c i n g t h e U n d e r s t a n d i n g o f I s l a m

The Quran Project’s goal is to distribute 1,000,000 copies of the Quran to the Amer-ican public to educate people about Islam. So far, we have distributed 80,000 copies!

April 2014

pg. 5


Islamophobic Police Trainer Loses AccreditationEarlier this month - in partnership with the local Muslim community and the Southern Poverty Law Center - CAIR was able to convince a state agency in Virginia to withdraw accreditation for a three-day training program entitled “Jihadi Networks in America” taught to sheriff’s officers by John Guandolo, a notorious anti-Muslim con-spiracy theorist. Guandolo is infamous for the bizarre claim that the current CIA director is a secret Muslim agent of a foreign government and the assertion that American Muslims “do not have a First Amendment right to do anything.”

Knowing Mr. Guandolo’s anti-Muslim views, we sprang into action when we learned that he would be “training” law enforcement agents about Islam and Muslims. We sent letters to the sheriff and other officials informing them of Guandolo’s history of bias and set up an action alert so that concerned people like you could share your concerns with the sheriff’s office. In a letter to the sherrif, Corey Saylor, director of CAIR’s Department to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia, wrote in part:

Keeping Anti-Muslim Bias Out of School TextbooksCAIR-Florida challenges a campaign to portray Islam negativly in high school textbooks and wins!Thanks to the work of CAIR’s Florida chapter, a decision has been made to continue a supplement to a world history textbook after complaints made by an anti-Islam campaign in the region, claiming that the book allegedly con-tained a “pro-Islam” bias.

CAIR-FL representatives met earlier this month with Brevard County school officials to share the Muslim com-munity’s concerns and to review the supplement, finding that the teachers had adopted a balanced educational approach. The committee tasked with reviewing the book said concerns about the textbook’s alleged bias proved unfounded.

“The supplemental materials seem to incorporate an unbiased and academ-ically rigorous approach to teaching that will help students connect with and understand key issues and trends

in recent global history,” said CAIR-FL Community and Government Relations Director Ghazala Salam, who met with school officials.

“We commend the teachers for remaining neutral and exercising sound judgment in selecting resources that utilize a comprehensive and accurate approach, despite the stereotypes and anti-Is-lamic rhetoric promoted by the textbook’s critics.”

CAIR recently assisted the Muslim com-munity in Alabama in its challenge to an ACT! for America anti-Islam campaign targeting textbooks in that state. The Alabama State Board of Education last week dismissed allegations that 11 text-

The Florida textbook in question

“Mr. Guandolo has a lengthy record of anti-Muslim extremism and unprofession-al behavior. His views on Islam are the equivalent of historical anti-Catholic and anti-Semitic falsehoods. Guandolo offers only his own prejudiced and inaccurate conspiratorial views, not solid counter-terrorism training.”

CAIR and local Muslim leaders met with the sheriff and were eventually able to give a presentation about Islam and Muslims to about 30 law enforcement officers. Most importantly, CAIR also contacted the state agency that was offering training credits to the officers who took Guandolo’s course. After reviewing Guandolo’s history of spreading false information, that agency decided not to offer credits for the sessions.

books on the state’s new list for social studies material are too pro-Islam.

“While we do not believe that concerns of known hate groups like ACT! for America should be given serious consideration, we are pleased to see that the school board has de-cided to offer a supplement that includes even more accurate information on Islamic history to reinforce the textbooks,” said CAIR-FL Executive Director Hassan Shibly. “The more students know about the diverse faiths and cultures that make up the fabric of our society, the better.”

F i g h t i n g B i g o t r y


pg. 6

CAIR Schedules Record Number of Hill VisitsDuring CAIR’s National Council Meet¬ing, our annual convening of chapters in mid-March at the nation’s capitol, dozens of CAIR activists from around the country took to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., to advocate on be¬half of our community on issues that resonate with Muslims nationwide.

CAIR staff booked almost 200 meetings with congressional offices, and the majority of those meetings took place despite a snowstorm and resulting government closures. This number broke our previous record of 168 congressional meetings in one week. Few other organizations can say they have scheduled this high number of Hill visits in a single advocacy effort!

CAIR representatives walked the halls of Congress urging elected officials and their staffers to address issues such as growing anti-Muslim hate speech, the placing of American Mus¬lims on no-fly lists without due process or legal recourse, and the bulk col¬lection of communications data from law-abiding citizens.

Next year, CAIR hopes to expand the scope of the Hill Days and invite mem¬bers of the wider Muslim community to participate in training so that they, too, can join in on the efforts to create a unified Muslim lobbying day.

CAIR staff from across the country lobbying on the hill (above)CAIR staff participate in our annual meeting

U.S. Muslims Unite Under a New Coalition Ten major national American Muslim organizations held a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to announce the formation of the US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), an umbrella group that will serve as a representative voice for Muslims as the faith community seeks to enhance its positive impact on society.

“This is the dream of every American Muslim, to unify the approach, agenda and vision of the Muslim community,” said Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, at a Wednesday (March 12) announcement at the National Press Club.

The new national council’s first priority will be to build on Muslim citizenship rights by conducting a census of American Muslims to create a database that will be used to enhance civic and political participation in upcoming elections.

Organizations participating in the initial launch included The Mosque Cares (Ministry of Imam W. Deen Mohammed), Muslim American Society (MAS), American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Islamic Circle of North American (ICNA), Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA), Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA), Muslim Ummah of North America (MUNA), American Muslim Alliance (AMA), and The Mosque Foundation (Chicago).

At the press conference announcing the US Council of Muslim Organizations (above)

E n g a g i n g O u r E l e c t e d O f f i c i a l s

B u i l d i n g t h e F u t u r e

April 2014

pg. 7


Have you seen us lately?If you’d like to help connect CAIR with your community or are interested in volunteering or interning with the national office, please reach out to us! We are always looking for new partners and innovative ways to reach people and advocate for civil rights.

CAIR offers free workshops on-site at local mosques, schools, and community centers in an effort to educate the community. Topics include bullying prevention, media training, combating Islamophobia, civic engagement, and knowing your rights when interacting with law enforcement and for travelers, employees, and students. These workshops, which typically last one to two hours, can be scheduled based on what works best for your facility and are completely free of charge.

TO BOOK A WORKSHOP OR OTHER CAIR EVENT, CONTACT:Lauren Schreiber, Outreach & Events [email protected] or 202-742-6454

CAIR often opens its doors to groups for educational tours of our national headquarters. Below are two mes-sages from college students who were part of a group that visited CAIR in February:

“I am writing to thank you for hosting my class (Islam in America course at Centre College) last month at CAIR. I wanted you to know that I found our visit to CAIR and to the prayer service at the Capitol Building to be informative and person-ally rewarding. This visit was part of a trip that corrected my misconceptions about Muslims in America and educated me in a transformative way.

“CAIR in particular, stands out in this trip as a source of valuable information and a place where people do meaningful work that impacts communities every day.

“Thank you for taking the time to talk with us, for providing good resources for us, and for answer-

ing our questions. I am enjoying looking through the Qur’an and sharing some of the resources you gave us with my family members.”- A student at Centre College, Kentucky

“You all rock. Truly, the six individuals [who spoke with the group] at the DC office were friendly, open, and knowledgeable. I sincere-ly enjoyed visiting the office and I cannot thank you enough for your generosity.” - A student at Centre College, Kentucky

Centre college Group vsiting the CAIR national office in February 2014

Messages from the CAIR Mailbox

B r i n g C A I R t o y o u r C o m m u n i t y

Y o u r F e e d b a c k

Council on American-Islamic Relations

Council on American-Islamic Relations453 New Jersey Ave. SEWashington, DC. 20003(p) 202-488-8787(f) 202-488-0833www.cair.comFollow us @CAIRNationalLike us at www.facebook.com/CAIRNationalFriend our outreach coordinator at www.facebook.com/cair.events

Did you receive more than one copy?

Please pass it on to a friend!

Documents

Cair newsletter 1