FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR-Cleveland Welcomes Judge’s Finding of Probable Cause to Charge Police Officers inTamir Rice’s Death
(CLEVELAND, OH, 6/12/15) – The Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland) today welcomed a municipal court judge’s ruling Thursday that there is probable cause to charge two Cleveland police officers in the shooting death last November of 12-year-old Tamir Rice.
(CLEVELAND, OH 6/9/2015) – On Tuesday, June 9th, the Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland) will join other civil rights leaders, activists, and clergy at a press conference in front of the Cuyahoga County Justice Center to announce that they are filing a number of citizens’ affidavits for probable cause in the death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was killed by Cleveland Police Officers on November 22, 2014.
SEE: Cleveland Leaders Bypass Prosecutors to Seek Charge in Tamir Rice Case (more…)
(CLEVELAND, OH, 5/6/15) – On Sunday May 3, more than 400 people turned out for the 13th Annual Civil Rights Banquet of the Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio), with the theme “Rooted in Faith: Growing Through Service,” at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Independence.
The event honored Lassana Bathily, the Malian Muslim who was recently declared a French National Hero for saving customers in the Hyper Cacher Kosher grocery store in Paris during terrorist attacks in January. Bathily received the I-CAIR Courage and Honor Award at the banquet.
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(CLEVELAND, OH, 4/14/15) — On Sunday May 3, the Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OHIO) will hold its 13th Annual Civil Rights Banquet, with the theme “Rooted in Faith: Growing Through Service,” at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Independence.
At the event, CAIR will present the I-CAIR Honor and Courage Award to Lassana Bathily, the Malian Muslim who was recently declared a French National Hero for saving customers in the Hyper Cacher Kosher grocery store in Paris during terrorist attacks in January. (more…)
(CLEVELAND, OH, 2/26/2015) – Dozens of people participated yesterday in a forum on bias-free policing with the Bias-Free Policing Work Group of the Cleveland Community Police Commission held at the ACLU of Ohio and co-coordinated by the Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland) and area Muslim groups.
The meeting was intended to give the Muslim community a chance to provide input into the set of recommendations on bias-free policing currently being drafted by the Community Police Commission. The Commission’s final recommendations on bias-free policing are due to be presented to the City of Cleveland by March 7.
Muslim civil rights group calls on people of all faiths to join rally tonight outside Cleveland City Hall
(CLEVELAND, OH, 12/8/14) – The Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland) today joined the call by religious leaders to attend a peaceful rally outside Cleveland City Hall this evening to push for police reforms.
CAIR-Cleveland is also calling on all people of conscience to join with the New Abolitionist Association of the Children’s Defense Fund to attend tonight’s Cleveland City Council meeting after the rally to demand accountability on the part of City Council in implementing needed reforms to the Cleveland Division of Police.
Muslim group representatives to attend funeral for 12-year-old police shooting victim
(CLEVELAND, OH, 12/1/14) — On Saturday, December 6, the Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland) will join with local and national civil and human rights groups to co-host a forum on police shootings in the wake of the fatal shooting by police of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy, who was playing with a soft-pellet gun outside a local recreation center in that city.
SEE: Tamir Rice Weighs Heavily on Second Anniversary of Deadly Cleveland Police Chase
Video Shows Cleveland Officer Shooting 12-Year-Old Tamir Rice Within Seconds
The Funeral Service for Tamir Rice is Wednesday
WHAT: Forum on Police Shootings & Community Response
WHEN: Saturday, December 6, 2014, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
WHERE: Cleveland Public Library, MLK, Jr. Branch, 1962 Stokes Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio 44106
CONTACT: CAIR-Cleveland Executive Director Julia Shearson, 216.830.2247, jshearson@cair.com
[MEDIA NOTE: On Wednesday, December 3, representatives of CAIR-Cleveland will attend the funeral of Tamir Rice to be held 11 a.m. at Mt. Sinai Baptist Church, 7510 Woodland Avenue, in Cleveland.]
“The purpose of these community-based initiatives is to bring together diverse civil and human rights leaders and organizations to form a more united front to work on social justice issues, including the excessive use of force by police,” said CAIR-Cleveland Events Coordinator Aiesha Siddiq.
(CLEVELAND, OH – 4/1/14) — The Cleveland chapter of the Council on Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland) today expressed concern about a lecturer in the Arabic language department at Oberlin College, Dr. Samir Amin Abdellatif, who openly promotes anti-Muslim bigotry and crude stereotypes of Muslims in his writings and on campus.
CAIR-Cleveland requested that the college “investigate the matter and take appropriate action based on the results of that investigation.”
(CLEVELAND, OH, 9/23/2013) — Some 500 people participated in a multi-faith program and walk around Public Square in downtown Cleveland Sunday to raise awareness about rampant violence against women in the local community and society at large.
At the event, a diverse group of women faith leaders from around the region called on the dozens of public officials and political candidates in attendance to sign a pledge of accountability to help end violence against women and children.
The event was timed to raise awareness in the run up to October’s national Domestic Violence Awareness month and Nonviolence Week, the first full week in October as designated in Ohio by Senate Bill 38 and signed into law by Governor John Kasich.
SEE: Women speak out against violence at Old Stone Church in downtown Cleveland
“Our goal as women of faith was to help raise awareness and call for divine help to empower our community to stand against the scourge of violence in Cleveland and beyond,” said CAIR-Cleveland Executive Director Julia Shearson who helped co-organize the event along with more than 40 women clergy and lay leaders from diverse faiths in the greater Cleveland area.
(CLEVELAND, OH – 8/31/12) – A representative of the Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) recently spoke as part of a panel on race relations hosted by the City of Cleveland and the Cleveland Community Relations Board.
The panel, which was held in the City Hall Rotunda on Tuesday, August 21, 2012, included a diverse panel that presented an array of perspectives on the subjects of race, ethnicity, and diversity. Panelists included Peggy Zone Fisher, CEO of the Diversity Center; Dr. Ronnie Dunn, a professor and expert on racial profiling from Cleveland State University; Julia A. Shearson of the Council on American-Islamic Relations; Phyllis Davis of the LGBT Center; Judge Annette Butler; Pastor Max Rodas; and Ben King Stewart, a student at John Adams High.
The panelists discussed the state of race relations in the Cleveland area as well as trends across the country. The panelists pointed to entrenched structural inequities that continue to perpetuate race and class divides, but they also applauded strides that have been made to help improve inter-racial relations on the personal level. The youth panelist discussed how different generations view race and diversity. The panel was moderated by Casey Greer of Heights Community Congress, who challenged the audience and the panelists to present ideas for building better understanding across diverse communities.
“This forum was an excellent opportunity to start an honest conversation on race relations in our region.” CAIR-Cleveland Executive Director Julia A. Shearson said. “It was also a chance to explore ways to confront past wrongs, to address today’s challenges, and to embrace a shared future in terms of building a truly pluralistic society where diversity is always an asset, never a liability.”
CONTACT: CAIR-Ohio Communications Coordinator Hanna Tyler, 614.451.3232, E-Mail: htyler@cair.com.