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Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

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Warmongering Islamophobia in the US, August 9-20, 2016, CAIR Reports

August 21, 2016 

Editorial Note:

Islamphobia (exaggerated and baseless fear of Muslims) has been perpetrated and perpetuated to justify the continuous US wars and invasions of the Muslim World since 1990, in order for the war industry beneficiaries to justify the enormous and unprecedented US national debt, which has reached more than $19 trillion, as a result of the permanent-war military spending.

Tens of thousands of Americans are killed by non-Muslim other Americans every year, in gun violence. However, Islamophobes ignore that fact and focus on an incident or two perpetrated by Muslims in an entire year.

For example, in 2015, there were 53,228 shooting incidents, resulting in the killing of 13,415 Americans. Of these, there were only two incidents perpetrated by Muslims and resulting in the killing of 18 Americans.

The Zionist media, like Fox News and CNN, together with the  war industry agents and Zionist-controlled politicians like Trump, kept mentioning these two incidents while totally ignoring the other 53,226 incidents, which resulted in the killing of 13,398 Americans!

The end outcome is that the American people are indeed actual victims of a continuous warmongering campaign, Islamophobia, and a daily holocaust, perpetrated against them by the war industry beneficiaries and their agents in the media and politics.

For a background, read: 

Zionist Creative Destruction of the Middle East for the Benefit of the Apartheid Israeli Regime

The Terrorism Industry, A Merciless Continuous Attack on the American People's Blood and Treasure

 

***


CAIR: Muslim, Sikh Groups to Launch 'Twitterstorm' Urging FIBA to Drop Hijab Ban

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 8/19/16) � Later today (3-5 p.m. EDT),

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) will join with MPower Change and the The Sikh Coalition to launch a "Twitterstorm" urging the Switzerland-based International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to permanently lift the ban on athletes wearing religious attire when it issues a final decision on its head-covering policy later this month.

CAIR, the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said those participating in the Twitterstorm are being asked to use #LetThemPlay and #FibaAllowHijab when tweeting @FIBA in support of Sikh, Jewish and Muslim athletes who wish to wear religious attire.]

CAIR: #LetThemPlay: People Petition to Lift Hijab Basketball Ban

The Washington-based Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization and the Sikh American Legal Defense & Education Fund (SALDEF) recently called on FIBA to permanently lift the ban on Muslim women athletes wearing Islamic head scarves (hijab).

SEE: CAIR Calls on FIBA to Permanently Lift Basketball Hijab Ban

CAIR: Hijabs Are Not a Threat to Sports

CAIR: Muslim Women Can't Play Professional Basketball In A Hijab. But That Could Change Soon.

The multi-faith Twitterstorm comes as a number of Olympic athletes wearing religious attire have competed successfully in the ongoing Olympic Games in Brazil. CAIR noted that Ibtihaj Muhammad recently became the first American Muslim woman to win an Olympic medal while wearing hijab.

CAIR had requested and received a change to the hijab ban in 2014 and is working with two American Muslim basketball players who were being impacted by the prohibition. [NOTE: Sikh players who wear turbans for religious reasons had also been prevented from playing basketball under FIBA's policy.]

As part of a two-year testing program that FIBA agreed to in 2014 following intervention by CAIR and Sikh organizations, players can currently wear hijabs (and Sikh turbans) in some competitions. FIBA will likely issue its final decision on hijab after the Rio Olympics.

CAIR noted that FIFA's International Football Association Board acknowledged the religious rights of soccer players by changing its rules to allow hijabs and Sikh turbans.

In 2015, CAIR's Minnesota chapter assisted a teenage Muslim boxer who wanted to compete while wearing modest Islamic attire, including hijab.

CAIR helped a Muslim wrestler at the University at Buffalo in New York obtain a waiver from the NCAA to wear a beard he believes is required by his faith.

In 2011, CAIR welcomed a decision by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) to modify its policy on competitor apparel to allow modest Islamic attire. The IWF policy change came following intervention by CAIR in the case of a Muslim weightlifter in Georgia who wished to compete while covering her hair, arms and legs.

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

La misión de CAIR es mejorar la comprensión del Islam, fomentar el diálogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.

CONTACT:

CAIR Maryland Outreach Manager Dr. Zainab Chaudry, [email protected], 410-971-6062; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]

***


UPDATE: Georgia NAACP, Project South, Almost 20 Muslim Organizations Join CAIR-GA's Call for DOJ Probe of Newton County

 (ATLANTA, GA, 8/18/16) -

Rev. Dr. Francys Johnson, president of the Georgia chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), attorney Azadeh Shahshahani of Project South and nearly twenty Georgia Muslim non-profit organizations have joined CAIR Georgia's call for a federal investigation into Newton County for anti-Muslim discrimination.

Neither CAIR Georgia, the Georgia NAACP nor the other civil rights organizations currently represent or speak for the targeted mosque, which hopes to privately resolve the situation with the county commissioners, but all the organizations believe that the U.S. Department of Justice should simultaneously investigate the county's actions.

---

CAIR-GA Calls for DOJ Probe of Anti-Muslim Bias in County's Moratorium on Building Permits

(ATLANTA, GA, 8/18/16) -

The Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-GA) today called on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate Newton County for blocking Georgia Muslims from building a house of worship on their own property, despite prior county approval and local law allowing them to do so.

A proposal to build a mosque and a Muslim cemetery in Covington, Ga., has been put on hold after the Newton County Board of Commissioners enacted a moratorium on religious-related building permits. Public comments leading up to the moratorium by opponents of the proposal included anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant sentiments.

SEE: Plan for Georgia Mosque, Cemetery on Hold After Newton Commissioners Issue Moratorium

"Newton's county commissioners abandoned their oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution, as well as their own local laws, because of fear and bigotry," said CAIR-GA Executive Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell. "We urge federal authorities to investigate this clearly discriminatory decision and protect the religious rights of all Georgians."

He noted that the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) requires Newton County to grant any religious organization valid permits to construct a house of worship or cemetery on its property on the same terms as any other religious group. 

In this case, county law permits religious groups to build houses of worship and cemeteries after they acquire approval, which this mosque has received.  Christian groups have made use of this provision in the past without issue. Only when a Muslim group attempted to do so did the county board see the need to suspend this right.

Commissioner John Douglas, who once called an African-American woman a "street walker knee grow" during a racist tirade online, openly admitted that he opposed the mosque because it is a mosque.

SEE: Ga. Official Apologizes For Calling Black Woman A 'Street Walker Knee Grow'

"The first question that comes to my mind is if there are enough Muslims in south Newton County that we need to build not only a mosque but a community, a school and what all is in the plan," Douglas told The Rockdale Citizen. "Would building those things make us a prime area for the federal government to resettle refugees from the Middle East? So I do have some concerns, like the people who live down there," said Douglas.

SEE: Reaction to Mosque Plan Mostly Critical

When Douglas and his fellow commissioners voted to freeze the project, a packed crowd exploded in applause, further proof of the bigotry at play, Mitchell said.

"When a church secures a permit to build a new house of worship, none of the commissioners object, much less take the extraordinary step of undermining county law," Mitchell said. "The Newton commissioners must now decide whether this anti-Muslim discrimination will end at their next public meeting, or inside a federal courtroom."

CAIR has successfully defended the religious rights of a number of Muslim communities nationwide based on RLUIPA, which protects individuals, houses of worship and other religious institutions from discrimination in zoning and landmarking laws.

SEE: CAIR-MN Welcomes Judge's Decision in Favor of Planned Islamic Cemetery

CAIR-MI Welcomes DOJ Suit Over Zoning Denial for Islamic School

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

La misión de CAIR es mejorar la comprensión del Islam, fomentar el diálogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.

CONTACT: CAIR-GA Executive Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell; 404-285-9530; [email protected];

CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]  

***

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


CAIR-GA: Muslim Advocacy Group Announces Outreach Initiative to Georgia's Political Activists, Including Conservatives

 (ATLANTA, GA, 8/17/16) -

The Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-GA) today announced the launch of an outreach initiative designed to reduce Islamophobia by educating political activists, particularly conservatives, about mainstream Muslim beliefs and practices.

"During the 2000 presidential election, many American Muslims voted for George W. Bush," said CAIR-GA Executive Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell. "However, the rise of violent extremism overseas and of Islamophobia here at home led some conservatives to fear and even loathe their neighbors. Georgia Muslims - who love God, family and country as much as any other American - hope to put those fears to rest by addressing them head-on at their source."

CAIR-GA plans to contact both progressive and conservative groups across the state, including Republican Party chapters and Tea Party-affiliated organizations. The Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization is offering to meet with each group's members, deliver an educational "Islam 101" presentation and answer questions about hot-button topics such as terrorism.

"Georgia Muslims look forward to meeting, greeting and dialoguing with various political groups, including Republican and Tea Party-affiliated activists," said Mitchell. "We're willing to answer any and all questions about Islam and American Muslims, whether those questions are tame or critical."

Mitchell, who regularly delivers Islam 101 lectures to church groups and mosque visitors on behalf of CAIR-GA and the Islamic Community Center of Atlanta, recently sat for a joint WABE interview with a local Tea Party leader in which the two men discussed the "unexpected friendship" that developed after they engaged in interfaith dialogue.

Unexpected Friendship: Tea Party Leader Joins CAIR-GA for Joint NPR Interview

Political, social and religious organizations interested in scheduling a visit with CAIR-GA may email [email protected] or call 404-285-9530.

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

La misión de CAIR es mejorar la comprensión del Islam, fomentar el diálogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.

CONTACT: CAIR-GA Executive Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell; 404-285-9530; [email protected];

CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]

***


CAIR Demands Apology from NY GOP Senate Candidate for Linking New Mosque to Crime

 (NEW YORK, NY, 8/16/16) �

The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) today demanded an apology from Wendy Long, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in New York for a series of tweets linking the conversion of a Catholic church in Syracuse, N.Y., into a mosque to crime in that community.

Long tweeted a photo of a boarded up house near Masjid Isa Ibn Maryam, which was converted from a Catholic church into a mosque last year. She tweeted: "Neighborhood where the mosque displaced the church. Crime, prostitution, money laundering."

She also tweeted a photo of two Muslim women walking down the street, with the text: "Catholic Charities takes federal tax dollars to resettle the refugees we can't screen. Leaves the Catholics to ISIS."

In another tweet with a photo of the mosque, Long wrote: "Welcome to Syracuse: Holy Trinity Church, beautiful church of German and Italian immigrants, is now a mosque."

According to the Syracuse Post-Standard: "Long said she had no independent proof that such crimes are on the rise in the neighborhood since the mosque opened. When asked if she believes there's a direct link between the rising Muslim refugee population and crime, Long said, 'Probably not.'"

SEE: GOP Senate Candidate Wendy Long Links Rising Crime with Syracuse Mosque

"Once again we see a Republican candidate stoking anti-Muslim bigotry based on stereotypes and falsehoods," said CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher. "We demand that Ms. Long apologize for the harm she has done to the Syracuse Muslim community."

Nasher noted that CAIR's national office said yesterday that GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump's newly-announced proposal to subject immigrants to an ideological "test" is a violation of American values.

SEE: CAIR Says Trump's Plan to Subject Immigrants to an Ideological 'Test' Violates American Values

CAIR is asking Muslim community members to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR's Civil Rights Department at 202-742-6420 or by filing a report at: http://www.cair.com/civil-rights/report-an-incident/view/form.html

The Washington-based Muslim civil rights organization has expressed concern about a rising level of Islamophobia in American society prompted at least in part by public figures like Donald Trump and other GOP leaders.

Video: CAIR-OK Rep Interviewed About Arab-American Murdered After Suspect Calls Family 'Dirty Arabs'

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

La misión de CAIR es mejorar la comprensión del Islam, fomentar el diálogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.

CONTACT:

CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher, 917-669-4006, [email protected];

CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]

***


CAIR Says Trump's Plan to Subject Immigrants to an Ideological 'Test' Violates American Values

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 8/15/16) �

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization, said today that GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump's newly-announced proposal to subject immigrants to an ideological "test" is a violation of American values.

In a speech today in Ohio, Trump also repeated his demand that the ill-defined hot button term "radical Islamic terrorism" be used to describe America's ongoing struggle against deviant groups like ISIS.

In a statement, CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw said:

"In today's speech, Donald Trump proposed an ideological 'test' to ensure that potential immigrants support American values. American values include the right to hold unpopular or non-majority opinions. Trump himself would likely not gain entry into the United States if tested for basic American values of tolerance and pluralism, given that his proposed ban on Muslims entering the United States and his views on Latinos are in complete contradiction to America's traditions of ethnic diversity and religious freedom.

"Trump's proposal for a 'commission' that would identify for Americans the tenets of 'radical Islam' crosses the line into government interference in religious beliefs. Will a Trump administration entangle itself in interpretation of religious principles? Who will Trump appoint to decide what constitutes 'radical Islam'? His current stable of Islamophobic advisers indicates that this commission would be packed with anti-Muslim bigots.

SEE: CAIR Slams Trump's Naming of Islamophobic Adviser

"This government promotion of a state version of a particular religion would violate the First Amendment and put America on a path to a society in which those in power get to choose which beliefs are 'correct' and which are 'incorrect.'

"Donald Trump obviously views millions of ordinary American Muslims not as fellow citizens who contribute to this great nation, but as foreign intruders who must be treated with suspicion and whose constitutional rights may be curtailed."

Last week, CAIR challenged Trump to repudiate a top adviser, who spoke at the Republican convention and was considered as a vice presidential pick, for stating in an address to an anti-Muslim hate group that Islam is a "cancer" and not a real religion.

CAIR also recently demanded that Donald Trump apologize for disparaging the parents of a Muslim who died while serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq.

SEE: CAIR Demands Apology from Donald Trump for Disparagement of Muslim Gold Star Family

The Washington-based civil rights organization has previously spoken out against Trump's apparent support for an Islamophobic town hall question and demanded that Trump "stop the bigotry" after he falsely claimed on Fox News that assimilation of American Muslims is "pretty close" to nonexistent and that a "percentage" of American Muslims "want to do what this maniac did in Orlando."

SEE: CAIR Says Donald Trump's 'Hibi-Jabis' Reply Endangers Muslim Women

Earlier this year, CAIR said Donald Trump's continued use of a debunked myth about U.S. Gen. John Pershing executing Muslim prisoners in the Philippines using bullets dipped in pig's blood was endangering ordinary American Muslims who were already facing a surge in hate.

SEE: CAIR Tells Donald Trump: 'Stop the Bigotry'

CAIR stated that Trump's pig's blood claim and other instances of his Islamophobic rhetoric, including his calling for a ban on all Muslims entering the United States, his false claim that "Islam hates us," his refusal to rule out special IDs for American Muslims, and his willingness to consider closing down American mosques place millions of innocent, law-abiding citizens in the American Muslim community at risk.

CAIR has reported an unprecedented spike in anti-Muslim incidents nationwide since Trump's bigoted call for a complete ban on Muslims entering the United States.

The Washington-based Muslim civil rights group is asking Muslim community members to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR's Civil Rights Department at 202-742-6420 or by filing a report at: http://www.cair.com/civil-rights/report-an-incident/view/form.html

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

La misión de CAIR es mejorar la comprensión del Islam, fomentar el diálogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.

CONTACT: CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR Communications Coordinator Nabeelah Naeem, 202-341-4171, [email protected]

***

CAIR to Announce Reward for Info on Shootings of NY Imam, Associate

New York Islamic Leadership Council will announce effort to assist families of victims

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 8/14/16) �

On Monday, August 15, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, will join a community news conference about the shooting deaths Saturday of a New York imam (religious leader) and his associate to announce a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator.

[MEDIA NOTE:

Monday's news conference will be livestreamed on CAIR's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational/ ]

Police have released a sketch of the suspect and video surveillance of the shootings.

Video: CAIR-NY President Speaks Out About Shooting of Queens Imam, Associate (MSNBC)

Video: Surveillance Video Captures Moment Imam, Associate Were Fatally Shot Near Queens Mosque

CAIR will participate in the community news conference in conjunction with New York's Majlis Ashura (Islamic Leadership Council), which will announce an effort to assist the families of the victims.

[NOTE: A funeral prayer for Imam Maulama Akonjee and Thara Uddin will be held after the news conference at Grant Avenue Municipal Parking Field, 581 Grant Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11208.]

WHAT: CAIR to Announce Reward for Info on Shootings of NY Imam, Associate
WHEN: Monday, August 15, 1:45 p.m.
WHERE: News Conference and Funeral Prayers at Grant Avenue Municipal Parking Field, 581 Grant Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11208
CONTACT: CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher, 917-669-4006, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]

"We hope the offer of a reward will lead to the arrest and conviction of the individual who perpetrated this heinous crime," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad, who will take part in Monday's news conference. "Once an arrest is made, we expect that the motive of the shooter can be determined."

Last night, CAIR's New York chapter held a news conference to offer the community's reaction to the killings.

Video: CAIR-NY Director Afaf Nasher Speaks About Slaying of Queens Imam, Associate

The Washington-based Muslim civil rights group is asking Muslim community members to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR's Civil Rights Department at 202-742-6420 or by filing a report at: http://www.cair.com/civil-rights/report-an-incident/view/form.html

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

La misión de CAIR es mejorar la comprensión del Islam, fomentar el diálogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.

CONTACT:
CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher, 917-669-4006, [email protected];

CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]

***


CAIR-Chicago Calls for Hate Crime Probe of Attack on Muslim Mother, Daughter

(CHICAGO, IL, 8/12/16) --

The Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) today called on state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate an attack on a Muslim mother and daughter Thursday morning in West Rogers Park as a hate crime.
Video footage of the incident shows the attacker shouting obscene and Islamophobic slurs such as "f**king b*tch" and "f**k you ISIS b*tch" at the Muslim women while they were sitting in a vehicle. The attacker tried to enter the vehicle, but finding the doors locked, kicked the vehicle and smashed the side view mirror while the women inside sat terrified and screaming.

SEE: Video of the Attack

As the attacker walked away, she continued to yell derogatory, misogynistic and Islamophobic slurs at the Muslim women. One of the women inside the car asked, "What did we ever do to you?" and the attacker replied "You're ISIS, b*tch!"

The mother and daughter reported that their attacker spit on, harassed and yelled at them repeatedly while they were walking to their vehicle that morning. The daughter, Suzanne Damra, informed CAIR-Chicago that the attacker had been verbally harassing them for about a month before she turned violent in this latest incident "We were bothered and scared by her harassment but did not expect it to turn violent until today, and now we are very worried," she said.

While the incident was unfolding, the Muslim mother and daughter say that rather than stepping in to help, a couple of men walking by laughed and cheered on the attacker, one of them high-fived the attacker.

"This attack is clearly a hate crime rooted deeply in Islamophobia--and it must be treated as such," said Ahmed Rehab, executive director of CAIR-Chicago. "The attacker targeted the victims due to their religion and did so violently. Therefore, we call on local, state and federal authorities to investigate the bias motive behind this assault as a hate crime."

Rehab said this attack comes during a time of heightened Islamophobia, which has spiked since the first presidential nominees were announced for the current election cycle.

"Things were never this bad since 9/11. I think that a lot of this has to do with the fact that Donald Trump is running for presidency and he is encouraging a climate of hate against Muslims," Damra told CAIR-Chicago. "I don't think that this is acceptable and I don't think that this hate should be encouraged or go unchallenged."

CAIR-Chicago also asks the Muslim community to continue to report any bias or hate incidents to CAIR's Civil Rights Department at 312.212.1520 or online at http://www.cairchicago.org/report-discrimination/

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

La misión de CAIR es mejorar la comprensión del Islam, fomentar el diálogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.

CONTACT:

CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab, 312-212-1520, 202-870-0166, [email protected]; CAIR-Chicago Communications Coordinator Hoda Katebi, 312-212-1520, 405-413-1222, [email protected]

***


CAIR Challenges Donald Trump to Repudiate Adviser and RNC Speaker Who Called Islam 'a Cancer' at Hate Group Event

( WASHINGTON, D.C., 8/11/16) �

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today challenged GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump to repudiate a top adviser, who spoke at the Republican convention and was considered as a vice presidential pick, for stating in an address to an anti-Muslim hate group that Islam is a "cancer" and not a real religion.

CAIR, the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said that at an event Wednesday night in Texas hosted by the anti-Islam hate group ACT! For America, Retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn likened Islam to "a cancer" and said the faith of 1.6 billion people worldwide "definitely hides behind being a religion."

SEE: Trump's Favorite General Doesn't View Islam as a Religion (Dallas Morning News)

"We challenge Donald Trump and Republican party leaders to repudiate the anti-Muslim bigotry of an individual who was on the short list of vice presidential candidates and was given a place of prominence at the GOP convention in Cleveland," said CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw.

McCaw noted that ACT! for America leader Hanah Kahwagi Tudor, who goes by the pseudonym "Brigitte Gabriel," says an American Muslim "cannot be a loyal citizen" and that Islam is the "real enemy." She once told the Australian Jewish News: "Every practicing Muslim is a radical Muslim." When asked whether Americans should "resist Muslims who want to seek political office in this nation," Tudor said, "Absolutely."

CAIR Islamophobia Monitor: Brigitte Gabriel (ACT! for America)

CAIR Islamophobia Monitor: ACT! For America

According to an expose of the group by The Tennessean newspaper, "ACT members see themselves as warriors in a clash between Western civilization and Islam."

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has named "Brigitte Gabriel" as a member of the nation's "Anti-Muslim Inner Circle."

SPLC: Anti-Muslim Inner Circle

CAIR recently demanded that Donald Trump apologize for disparaging the parents of a Muslim who died while serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq.

SEE: CAIR Demands Apology from Donald Trump for Disparagement of Muslim Gold Star Family

The Washington-based civil rights organization has previously spoken out against Trump's apparent support for an Islamophobic town hall question and demanded that Trump "stop the bigotry" after he falsely claimed on Fox News that assimilation of American Muslims is "pretty close" to nonexistent and that a "percentage" of American Muslims "want to do what this maniac did in Orlando."

SEE: CAIR Says Donald Trump's 'Hibi-Jabis' Reply Endangers Muslim Women

Earlier this year, CAIR said Donald Trump's continued use of a debunked myth about U.S. Gen. John Pershing executing Muslim prisoners in the Philippines using bullets dipped in pig's blood was endangering ordinary American Muslims who were already facing a surge in hate.

SEE: CAIR Tells Donald Trump: 'Stop the Bigotry'

CAIR stated that Trump's pig's blood claim and other instances of his Islamophobic rhetoric, including his calling for a ban on all Muslims entering the United States, his false claim that "Islam hates us," his refusal to rule out special IDs for American Muslims, and his willingness to consider closing down American mosques place millions of innocent, law-abiding citizens in the American Muslim community at risk.

CAIR has reported an unprecedented spike in anti-Muslim incidents nationwide since Trump's bigoted call for a complete ban on Muslims entering the United States.

The Washington-based Muslim civil rights group is asking Muslim community members to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR's Civil Rights Department at 202-742-6420 or by filing a report at: http://www.cair.com/civil-rights/report-an-incident/view/form.html

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

La misión de CAIR es mejorar la comprensión del Islam, fomentar el diálogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.

CONTACT:

CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected];

CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected];

CAIR Communications Coordinator Nabeelah Naeem, 202-341-4171, [email protected]

***

CAIR National Communications Director

Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]  

Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Ave, S.E., Washington, D.C., 20003

***

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