CAIR-MO

(ST. LOUIS, M0, 6/26/2019) – The Missouri chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Missouri) today welcomed the indictment of one of two Country Club Hills police officers who were accused of assaulting an elderly Palestinian-American Muslim man.

SEE: Country Club Hills Officer Charged in Incident Captured by Surveillance Cameras

https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/country-club-hills-officer-charged-in-incident-captured-by-surveillance/article_0390b198-93ac-5281-b62f-0b2048fe2df3.html

“We believe holding officers accountable for their actions is essential to building trust between the police and the communities they are supposed to serve and protect,” said Faizan Syed executive director of CAIR-Missouri. “This indictment is a small step in the right direction for our city. We were hoping for a more aggressive indictment that more accurately reflects the seriousness of the allegations; however, some accountability is better than no accountability.”

Earlier this year, CAIR-Missouri released surveillance footage of the incident that shows the officer allegedly grabbing Mohammed Wishah and throwing him to the ground. Wishah suffered serious back injuries and continues to use a cane to walk.

CAIR-Missouri is also calling on the St. Louis County Police Department to take over the investigation of an armed robbery that took place earlier this year where Mohammad Wishah fought off the robbers and was almost shot and killed in the process.

One of the assailants was caught by the Police however the assailant who punched, pistol whipped, and tried to murder Wishah continues to remain at large. CAIR-Missouri does not believe that Country Club Hills Police Department is taking any action to catch that criminal and is requesting the case be taken over by St. Louis County Police Department. 

SEE: Man Claims Assault and Cover-up by Country Club Hills Police Officers

https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/man-claims-assault-and-cover-up-by-country-club-hills/article_60a24f8c-cf78-525e-8af6-af77311da417.html

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims. 

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos. 

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CONTACT: CAIR-Missouri Executive Director Faizan Syed, 314-403-3626, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

MEDIA ADVISORY

CAIR-Missouri Calls for Probe After Revelation of Pro-Confederate, Racist and Islamophobic Posts by St. Louis PD Officers

(ST. LOUIS, MO, 6/3/2019) – The Missouri chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Missouri), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on the mayor and St. Louis chief of police to conduct a thorough investigation and take disciplinary actions against all police officers who allegedly circulated vicious pro-confederate, anti-black and Islamophobic social media posts.

SEE Hundreds of Racist, Violent Facebook Posts Linked to St. Louis Police Officers by National Group

https://www.metrostl.com/hundreds-of-racist-violent-facebook-posts-linked-to-st-louis-police-officers-by-national-group/?fbclid=IwAR3upY9KmQmDc2ntu3zmH_sslFvuSCLkLOiAfoZ3WKnCA6EKWMEidT7lEOc

SEE Copies of Social Media Posts

http://pvp.surge.sh/data?city=st_louis#st_louis-mike.calcaterra.1-14

“We are utterly shocked and sickened by the extent that white supremacist, racists and Islamophobes have infiltrated the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department,” said Faizan Syed, executive director of CAIR-Missouri. “Officers cannot serve and protect people who they hate. City officials must immediately take action, investigate this situation, hold those officers accountable, and take serious meaningful actions to rebuild trust.”

A repeating theme in the social media posts included attacks against Islam and American Muslims, including alleged posts by one officer who wrote “F the Muslim turd goat humpers.” Posts also included conspiracy theories of Islam taking over the world and correlating all Muslims with terrorism.

CAIR-Missouri will be reaching out to the Mayor’s office to request a meeting with city officials and leaders of the Muslim community after the Eid Holiday. During the meeting CAIR-Missouri will demand SLMPD go through sensitivity training to combat the alleged Islamophobia by current and former members of the Police Department.

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.

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CONTACT: CAIR-Missouri Executive Director Faizan Syed, 314-330-2946, E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAIR-Missouri Calls on Taco Bell to Apologize for Employee’s Obscene Anti-Muslim Rant (Video)

(ST. LOUIS, MO, 3/17/2019) – The Missouri chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Missouri), a chapter of the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on Taco Bell to apologize for an incident in which an employee went on an obscene rant targeting a Muslim customer seeking to eat before his daily Ramadan fast.

SEE: Taco Bell Employee Goes on Anti-Muslim Racist Rant Against a Customer Picking up Food During Ramadan

https://www.facebook.com/tarek.hamdan.75839/videos/922313964826967/

“I am utterly appalled by this ugly display of anti-Muslim bigotry and ignorance,” said Faizan Syed, executive director of CAIR-Missouri. “Taco Bell needs to take this incident seriously, apologize to the customer and immediately implement cultural competency training for all of their staff.”

Syed said the incident occurred at the Taco Bell located at 12420 St. Charles Rock Rd, Bridgeton, Mo., on Thursday morning around 1 a.m. The customer was a Muslim man who was fasting during the month of Ramadan. He went to the Taco Bell to get food for the “suhoor” meal that Muslims eat before beginning their fast at break of dawn.

Earlier this week, CAIR released a groundbreaking report, called “Hijacked by Hate: American Philanthropy and the Islamophobia Network,” listing the philanthropic foundations, many of them mainstream, that were used by anonymous special interest donors to funnel almost $125 million to anti-Muslim hate groups between 2014 and 2016.

The report’s authors noted that one outcome of the funding and promotion of anti-Muslim hate and conspiracy theories has been the measurable nationwide increase in anti-Muslim hate violence, bullying of children and discrimination. The period covered by the report showed a marked increase in anti-Muslim hate violence and discrimination.

New CAIR Report: Anonymous Donors Use Mainstream Philanthropic Groups to Funnel Millions to Anti-Muslim Hate Groups

https://www.cair.com/new_cair_report_anonymous_donors_use_mainstream_philanthropic_groups_to_funnel_millions_to_anti_muslim_hate_groups

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos., y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.

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CONTACT: CAIR-MO Executive Director Faizan Syed, 314-403-3626, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Media Advisory

CAIR-Missouri Calls for Resignation of Illinois College Board Chairman Over Islamophobic, Racist and Anti-Immigrant Posts

(ST. LOUIS, MO, 5/9/2019) – The Missouri chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Missouri), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on a leader of an Illinois community college located near St. Louis, Mo., to resign over a series of Islamophobic, racist and anti-immigrant messages he posted online.

One post by Lewis & Clark Community College Board of Trustees Chairman David Heyen refers to Muslim Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) as a “snake you are allowing in the Country.” Another post decries the fact that the three Muslim members of Congress may have access to classified documents, and another promotes the false and Islamophobic claim that there is no terrorism in Iceland and Japan because there are no Muslims in those countries. [NOTE: Both Iceland and Japan have Muslim populations.]

In other posts, “unvaccinated illegal alien kids in the public schools” are blamed for spreading diseases such as mumps, measles and small pox, and the “Democratic Party” is accused of “shaming White people.”

VIEW THE POSTS: https://tinyurl.com/BigotedPosts

The social media posts were sent to CAIR-Missouri by concerned members of the community.

“Anyone who shares such anti-Muslim, racist and anti-immigrant views has no business serving in a leadership position for any educational institution. Chairman Heyen should resign from his post,” said CAIR-Missouri Executive Director Faizan Syed. “We urge Lewis & Clark Community College to thoroughly investigate this matter and ensure that the college remains a welcoming place for all of its students.”

Earlier this week, CAIR released a groundbreaking report, called “Hijacked by Hate: American Philanthropy and the Islamophobia Network,”listing the philanthropic foundations, many of them mainstream, that were used by anonymous special interest donors to funnel almost $125 million to anti-Muslim hate groups between 2014 and 2016.

The report’s authors noted that one outcome of the funding and promotion of anti-Muslim hate and conspiracy theories has been the measurable nationwide increase in anti-Muslim hate violence, bullying of children and discrimination. The period covered by the report showed a marked increase in anti-Muslim hate violence and discrimination.

New CAIR Report: Anonymous Donors Use Mainstream Philanthropic Groups to Funnel Millions to Anti-Muslim Hate Groups

https://www.cair.com/new_cair_report_anonymous_donors_use_mainstream_philanthropic_groups_to_funnel_millions_to_anti_muslim_hate_groups

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 proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos. 

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CONTACT: CAIR-Missouri Executive Director Faizan Syed, 314-330-2946, E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.