CAIR-MO

Faizan Syed, the Executive Director of Missouri's Council on American Islamic Relations, says he's disappointed by the video.

"It’s extremely shocking and hurtful to see and student treat another student like that," says Syed.

Syed says, based off what he can see, the girl being bullied may be a first generation American and is visibly upset by all of this.

"Especially somebody who is struggling with English and is having a hard time explaining what they’re feeling," he says.

The next thing Syed notices, is students are either laughing or recording the encounter instead of intervening.

"The first thing you should do is not pull out your phone to record it so you can put it on your Snapchat and get more views. You need to take a courageous stand and speak up against it and try to stop it," says Syed.

Watch News Report: https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/disturbing-video-shows-st-louis-student-bullying-a-muslim-student/63-543860051

ST. LOUIS – A leading American Muslim advocacy group has organized an art event aimed at bringing different communities together while exhibiting contemporary Muslim art.

“Art is the international language used by all peoples, cultures, and religions to share with the world who they are, what they believe and inspire beauty,” Faizan Syed executive director of American-Islam Relations-Missouri (CAIR-MO), told The University News on Wednesday.

The second annual ‘Creativity and Identity: An American-Muslim Art Exhibition at the Contemporary Art Museum’ was held last March 31 in St. Louis, Missouri, and displayed contemporary Muslim art in a variety of mediums.

Read Full Article: http://aboutislam.net/muslim-issues/america/american-group-brings-people-together-art/?utm_content=bufferee212&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

American-Islam Relations-Missouri (CAIR-MO) held the second annual Creativity and Identity: An American-Muslim Art Exhibition at the Contemporary Art Museum, displaying contemporary Muslim art in a variety of mediums. “Art is the international language used by all peoples, cultures and religions to share with the world who they are, what they believe and inspire beauty,” executive director of CAIR-MO Faizan Syed said.

Syed and Pakistani-American sisters, Sadia and Yusra Ali, organized and curated the event. Yusra Ali created the exhibit to increase representation for Muslims in the art world. She studies Islamic sciences at the Al salam Institute and Cambridge Islamic College in the United Kingdom, interns at CAIR-MO and aspires to be an art therapist and an author.

The event was empowering for Muslim women; this year, twice as many artists showcased their work, almost three dozen, 28 of whom are women. The show included furniture, homemade soap, jewelry, painting, printmaking and textiles, while voices performed live comedy, poetry, speeches and spoken word. It elevated families as well, providing a space for children and their parents, and making it accessible for artists who are also mothers. St. Louis Gyros provided white rice, halaam gyro meat, salad, hummus and chips. Prayer rugs were on the floor, allowing Maghrib, the sunset prayer, to be practiced as a community.

Read Full Article: http://unewsonline.com/2018/04/11/cair-brings-communities-together-with-art/

"When you fall into that fear by promoting it, or acting on it, or changing your life, then those people win."

Faizan Syed is executive director of the Missouri Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

"Definitely take due diligence but I would not take it to the extreme that many people are taking it," Syed said. "There have been posts telling Muslim women they should not wear the hijab tomorrow. They're posting that people should stay indoors tomorrow and I would totally advise against that. When you fall into that fear by promoting it, or acting on it, or changing your life, then those people win."

The flyers originated in the U.K. Authorities there are trying to figure out who sent them. But here?

"Our office, along with many other offices, have been contacting local law enforcement and the FBI all across the country and there are no credible threats against the American-Muslim community," Syed said.