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CAIR—Empowering the American Muslim Community
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by Humaira Afzal
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The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Minnesota Chapter, is a nonprofit, grassroots civil rights and advocacy group. CAIR is America’s largest Islamic civil liberties group, with 34 chapters nationwide and in Canada. Since its establishment in 1994, CAIR has worked to promote a positive image of Islam and Muslims in America. Through media and government relations, education, and advocacy, CAIR puts forth an Islamic perspective to ensure the Muslim voice is represented. In offering this perspective, we seek to clear up misunderstandings about the American Muslim community and encourage participation in political and social activism. One of CAIR’s core principles is a commitment to protect the civil rights of all Americans, regardless of faith. We are an ally of any group, religious or secular, that advocates for justice and human rights in America and around the world.
CAIR supports foreign policies that help create free and equitable trade, encourage human rights, and promote representative government based on socioeconomic justice. We work in close cooperation with groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International, NAACP, Hispanic Unity, Organization of Chinese Americans, Japanese American Citizens League, Sikh Mediawatch, and Resource Task Force, among many others. In 2003, the ACLU gave its annual Liberty Flame Award to the Ohio chapter of CAIR “for contributions to the advancement and protection of civil liberties.” We have also successfully formed a partnership with the National Council of Churches and held dialogue with representatives of the National Association of Evangelicals.
CAIR is the first line of defense for American Muslims when it comes to discrimination. Especially since 9/11, American Muslims have been victims of discrimination of all forms: name-calling, employment discrimination, hate crimes, negative portrayal in the media, anti-Muslim remarks by elected officials, and the list goes on. CAIR’s work is more important now than it ever has been in protecting the civil rights of American Muslims. Report to us if any of the following happens to you or anyone you know: harassment due to your religious beliefs, name-calling, lack of reasonable religious accommodation by employers, religious stereotyping, Islamophobic statements by officials and media outlets (TV, radio, and print), hate crimes. Also contact us to arrange for speakers who can articulate about Islam in your school, place of work, professional associations, or social gatherings.
Through dialogue, education, interfaith relations, and relentless advocacy, we hope to overcome discrimination not only against Muslims, but against all people. To quote President Eisenhower, “This world of ours… must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect.”
Humaira Afzal is a board member of the Minnesota Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations. Contact CAIR-MN at: 651-645-7102. |
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Co$t of War
U.S. Oil Companies Offered Five Million Dollar Bribes
An Iraqi MP preferred to remain anonymous told the newspaper that highly confidential negotiations took place by representatives from American oil companies, offering $5 million to each MP who votes in favor of the Oil and Gas law.
The amount that could be paid to pass the votes do not exceed $150 million dollars in the case of $5 million to each MP, pointing out that the Oil law requires 138 votes to pass.
Focusing on the heads of parliamentary blocs and influential figures in the parliament to ensure the votes, the Americans guaranteed the Kurdish votes in advance but they are seeking enough votes to pass and approve the law as soon as possible.
—Akhbar Alkhaleej, 1/31/08
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© 2008 Women Against Military Madness. All rights reserved.
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Complete March 2008 Index - click here
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