Hi Friend,
Muslim Advocates frequently uses the press to advocate for religious liberty, fair treatment and equal opportunity for American Muslims and all people. We have also become a go-to source for expert testimony on anti-Muslim discrimination, tech accountability, legal matters and much more.
Muslim Advocates in the News presents a window into a significant part of our advocacy work as highlighted in the press and media.
Please check it out our Winter 2021 edition and let me know what you think.
Eric Naing,
Communications Director
Muslim Advocates
Muslim Advocates in the News Fall 2021 [[link removed]][[link removed]]FEATURED STORIES AND ADDITIONAL NEWS CLIPS
Anti-Muslim Chicago Police Officer
Embattled Chicago FOP president faces termination hearing, [[link removed]] Chicago Tribune — Nov. 14, 2021
But if Catanzara were allowed to keep his badge and gun as a working cop, that would send a message that Chicago police do not care about the safety and dignity of Muslims, said Eric Naing, spokesman for Muslim Advocates, one of the chief organizations behind a 78-group letter calling for Catanzara’s firing.
Chicago police union chief says he will leave department rather than continue disciplinary hearing he called a ‘farce’, [[link removed]] Chicago Tribune — Nov. 15, 2021
Police Union Boss John Catanzara Says He’s Resigning From CPD at Termination Hearing, [[link removed]] WTTV/PBS Chicago — Nov. 15, 2021
Chicago FOP president announces retirement, run for mayor after 1st day of termination hearing, [[link removed]] ABC 7 — Nov. 16, 2021
Combating International Islamophobia Act
House votes for legislation to combat Islamophobia abroad after Republican falsely accuses Rep. Omar of being ‘affiliated with’ terrorist organizations, [[link removed]] Washington Post — Dec. 14, 2021
In response, the civil rights group Muslim Advocates said Greene’s “ignorant and bigoted attacks” demonstrate why Omar’s legislation “is necessary and should be passed by Congress.”
“Greene’s crude stereotypes and sweeping smears of all Muslims are shocking, even for her, and will serve to encourage more hate and violence,” the group’s senior policy counsel, Sumayyah Waheed, said in a statement.
Change of Heart in New Jersey
Durr rejects ‘Islamophobia and all forms of hate’ after meeting with Muslims, [[link removed]] Cherry Hill Courier-Post — Nov. 10, 2021
CAIR’s national organization and another civil rights group, Muslim Advocates, had called on Durr to renounce the September 2019 tweet or to give up his Senate seat.
Muhyamin Family’s Settlement
Phoenix to pay $5M in lawsuit over man’s death during arrest, [[link removed]] AP — Nov. 18, 2021
The civil rights group Muslim Advocates had previously released a video clip of the struggle that it said shows police mocking the religion of Muhaymin, who was Muslim. In the clip, Muhaymin is heard crying out in pain and calling for Allah, the Arabic word for God.
Phoenix approves $5 million settlement for ‘I can’t breathe’ death in police custody, [[link removed]] Arizona Republic — Nov. 17, 2021
$5 Million Later, Police Who Killed Muhammad Muhaymin Were Not Punished, [[link removed]] Phoenix New Times — Nov. 19, 2021
Muhaymin Court Records Unsealed
Court records unsealed in lawsuit against Phoenix in police killing of Muhammad Muhaymin Jr., [[link removed]] Arizona Republic — Dec. 2, 2021
Muslim Advocates, a national civil rights organization, motioned to reverse this decision Oct. 8, and on Nov. 2, a federal court ruled that starting December certain documents of the case would be unsealed except for the ones that contain names of minors or information that cannot be disclosed to the public.
How Phoenix Kept Records Secret In The Legal Battle Over Muhammad Muhaymin’s Death, [[link removed]] Phoenix New Times — Dec. 14, 2021
Rep. Boebert’s Attacks on Ilhan Omar
Op-ed by Muslim Advocates Senior Policy Counsel Sumayyah Waheed
Why do elected leaders keep getting a pass on anti-Muslim hate?, [[link removed]] Religion News Service — Dec. 8, 2021
Omar received hundreds of death threats after Trump invoked the same stereotypes as Boebert by outrageously associating Omar with 9/11. Tlaib has also received death threats. Additionally, a man came to Washington, D.C., for the Jan. 6 insurrection armed with guns, bombs and a hit list that singled out Rep. Andre Carson as a Muslim.
That is why Muslim Advocates and Bend the Arc: Jewish Action just asked the Office of Congressional Ethics to investigate Boebert. Her anti-Muslim hate has already inspired threats against Omar. We need a full investigation into everything Boebert said and we need action from congressional leaders to hold her accountable. Anti-Muslim hate, and any kind of hate against minority faiths and communities, should not belong in Congress and should not go unanswered.
Muslim state lawmaker says Boebert-style rhetoric fuels hate, [[link removed]] Colorado Newsline — Dec. 9, 2021
Rep. Boebert labels Rep. Omar a jihadist. Why don’t GOP leaders condemn the slur?, [[link removed]] Washington Post — Dec. 6, 2021
Lauren Boebert Faces Ethics Complaint From Muslim, Jewish Groups Over Ilhan Omar Comments, [[link removed]] Newsweek — Dec. 1, 2021
House GOP leaders face calls to confront Islamophobia among their ranks Omar responds to Boebert’s Islamophobic attacks, [[link removed]] Washington Post — Nov. 30, 2021
Act against anti-Muslim hatred, Ilhan Omar tells Republicans as she airs latest death threat, [[link removed]] The Muslim News — Dec. 31, 2021
Muslim Advocates’s Facebook Lawsuit
Hate speech lawsuit against Facebook gains powerful ally: D.C.’s attorney general, [[link removed]] Washington Post — Dec. 6, 2021
In April, advocacy group Muslim Advocates filed a lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court accusing Facebook executives — including CEO Mark Zuckerberg — of deceiving lawmakers and falsely claiming the company removes harmful content such as hate speech and anti-Muslim rhetoric.
Now, D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine is throwing his support behind the civil rights group’s lawsuit by arguing against Facebook’s efforts to get it tossed.
DC AG Backs Users in Facebook Hate Speech Removal Suit, [[link removed]] Lawstreet — Dec. 9, 2021
DC Attorney General Files Brief Against Facebook Immunity Over Hate Speech, [[link removed]] DC Post — Dec. 8, 2021
DC attorney general urges court to hear Facebook hate speech case, [[link removed]] The Hill — Dec. 6, 2021
Facebook Hate Speech Lawsuit Should Be Heard, D.C. Tells Court, [[link removed]] Bloomberg Law — Dec. 6, 2021
DC’s AG Sides Against Facebook In Battle Over ‘Hate Speech’, [[link removed]] Media Post — Dec. 7, 2021
Supreme Court’s Abortion Case
Why Muslims Must Oppose the Abortion Ban, [[link removed]] Muslim Girl — Dec. 2, 2021
This is an open letter written on behalf of a coalition of the following Muslim American organizations: Muslim Advocates, KARAMAH: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights, HEART Women and Girls, American Muslim Bar Association, Muslim Wellness Foundation, American Muslim Health Professionals and Muslim Public Affairs Council.
An important principle of valuing religious diversity emerges from both Islamic history and U.S. constitutionalism. When a state takes sides in a religious debate, it can have devastating consequences.
Consider the Mississippi abortion ban, just argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. By defining life as beginning at conception, this law adopts the religious belief of some Christians who believe that all abortion is immoral. But not all American Christians, nor Americans of other religions, share this belief. In other words, by picking one religious belief and enshrining it into law, Mississippi is infringing on constitutional protections for American religious diversity.
Religious leaders, organizations react to Supreme Court arguments on Mississippi abortion law, [[link removed]] Dallas Morning News — Dec. 2, 2021
Rohingya Sue Facebook
Rohingya sue Facebook for $150B, alleging role in violence, [[link removed]] Associated Press — Dec. 8, 2021
“Across the board, the Facebook papers give civil rights advocates and others a lot of ammunition for their advocacy work,” Washington attorney Peter Romer-Friedman said.
He is a lead attorney for a lawsuit filed by the civil rights organization Muslim Advocates in April against Mark Zuckerberg and other top Facebook executives, accusing them of falsely claiming that the company removes anti-Muslim rhetoric.
Muslim Students on Campus
How anti-Muslim bias on campus harms students’ education, [[link removed]] Religious News Service — Dec. 28, 2021
Students and their advocates are dedicated to educating their teachers and peers but say it is up to administrators and their instructors to change the narrative about Muslims.
Sanaa Ansari, an attorney with the civil rights group Muslim Advocates, said the Association of Muslim Chaplaincy is actively working on awareness as a solution as a first step to mitigate these negative instances.
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