(CLEVELAND, OH, 6/11/08) – The Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland) recently gave a presentation at the Ohio Attorney General’s 2008 Conference on Victim Assistance, held in Akron, Ohio, on how to prevent and respond to domestic violence in the Muslim community.

The statewide conference aims to provide training for those who assist victims in the aftermath of crime. CAIR’s training, which was part of a session entitled “Domestic Violence in Immigrant Homes,” offered tools and suggestions for helping victims and witness advocates optimize services for Muslim women.

The presentation covered issues such as the impact of family violence on the Muslim community, challenges and barriers for advocates and victims, resources for combating domestic violence in Muslim communities, marriage and gender roles in Islam, the role of religious texts, and Islamic perspectives on healthy relationships.

“Violence in the home is a serious public health and law enforcement problem that cuts across all demographic lines,” said CAIR-Cleveland Executive Director Julia Shearson, who gave the presentation. “The goal of our training is to break down barriers to effective treatment and prevention by offering law enforcement and social workers the tools to provide culturally aligned approaches to help stop domestic violence in diverse communities.”

CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 35 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. CAIR’s mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

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CONTACT: CAIR-Cleveland Executive Director Julia A. Shearson, Tel: 216.830.2247 or 216.440.2247, E-Mail: jshearson@cair.com; Isam Zaiem, 216.337.7928, E-mail: isamz@sbcglobal.net.