CAIR-Cleveland & Northern Ohio

Category: recent news

  • CAIR Welcomes Federal Judge’s Decision to Block Trump’s ‘Muslim Ban 3.0’

    CAIR Welcomes Federal Judge’s Decision to Block Trump’s ‘Muslim Ban 3.0’

    Muslim civil rights group calls on Trump administration to withdraw proposed rules

    (WASHINGTON, D.C., 10/17/17) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, is welcoming a decision today by a federal judge in Hawaii to block the Trump administration from implementing “Muslim Ban 3.0,” the latest version of the president’s controversial travel ban.

    Judge Derrick K. Watson’s decision means that the administration cannot restrict the entry of travelers from six of the eight countries targeted by the ban, which was to go into effect tomorrow.

    SEE: Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Third Travel Ban

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/federal-judge-blocks-trumps-third-travel-ban/2017/10/17/e73293fc-ae90-11e7-9e58-e6288544af98_story.html

    Read the full Hawaii Opinion HERE:

    The Hawaii court found that the Muslim ban “lacks sufficient findings that the entry of more than 150 million nationals” from the Muslim majority countries would be “detrimental to the interest of the United States.”

    Recognizing that “national security” is pretext for the Muslim ban, the court determined that it contains “internal incoherencies that markedly undermine its stated ‘national security’ rationale.” The court concluded that the ban contradicted its stated “national security” rationale and that many of its provisions were not supported by any verifiable evidence.

    “We are thankful that the judiciary has once again blocked President Trump’s attempt to undermine our nation’s laws and Constitution,” said CAIR National Litigation Director Lena Masri. “President Trump should do the right thing and withdraw his latest Muslim ban, which represents nothing more than an irrational, illegal and unconstitutional attempt to fulfill a bigoted campaign pledge.”

    She noted however that the judge’s decision only blocks the ban for 14 days.

    On October 18, CAIR will join a coalition of national and local American Muslim and civil rights organizations at the #NoMuslimBanEver rally and march outside the White House in Washington, D.C.

    The event is designed to protest discriminatory policies that unlawfully target and hurt American Muslim and immigrant communities across the country and are part of the administration’s xenophobic, white supremacist agenda.

    WHAT: #NoMuslimBanEver Rally and March

    WHEN: Wednesday, October 18, 11:30 a.m. [MEDIA NOTE: Members of the media should sign in by 10 a.m. at the press risers in Lafayette Square.]

    WHERE: Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C.

    11:30 a.m. – March begins at Lafayette Square with speeches by a member of Congress, American Muslim leaders and impacted individuals

    1:30 p.m. – March to the Trump International Hotel via Pennsylvania Avenue

    3:30 p.m. – Program will end with march up to the doorstep of the enforcers of the Muslim ban, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

    CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com

    SEE: https://www.nomuslimbanever.com/

    The #NoMuslimBanEver campaign, a coalition of national and local civil rights and Muslim advocacy groups, is mobilizing and organizing events around the country to help lead the fight against President Trump’s latest unconstitutional Muslim ban, as well as other discriminatory immigration policies that criminalize and negatively impact American Muslim communities across the country.

    Earlier this month, CAIR announced the filing of a federal lawsuit on behalf of six individuals challenging the lawfulness of President Trump’s most recent attempt to implement a Muslim ban. A federal court hearing on that and other related lawsuits took place today in Maryland.

    VIDEO: CAIR Joins Other Civil Rights Organizations at News Conference Outside Federal Court in Maryland

    https://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational/videos/10155231767967695/

    That lawsuit was the latest CAIR legal filing challenging the Trump administration’s efforts to implement its Muslim Ban.

    In September, CAIR — with the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law and Profeta & Eisenstein — filed an amicus brief with U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of seven American Muslims.

    READ Amicus Brief

    https://www.cair.com/images/pdf/170918_-_Trump_v_Hawaii_-_Amicus_Brief_FINAL.PDF

     These groups also filed an amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit in August.

     Read CAIR’s Amicus Brief

    https://www.cair.com/images/pdf/17-16426-Hawaii-v-Trump—Brief-of-Amici-Adam-Soltani-et-al.pdf

  • CAIR-Cleveland Presents on Understanding Islam & Muslims: Focus on Muslim Women for AAUW Meeting

    CAIR-Cleveland Presents on Understanding Islam & Muslims: Focus on Muslim Women for AAUW Meeting

    Medina AAUW presents program on Muslim women in America

    Julia Shearson, executive director of the Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, will speak on what it's like to be a Muslim woman in America at a special dinner meeting of the Medina County Branch of the American Association of University Women on Sept. 28. She is shown here at the Women's March on Cleveland last January.
    Julia Shearson, executive director of the Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, will speak on what it’s like to be a Muslim woman in America at a special dinner meeting of the Medina County Branch of the American Association of University Women on Sept. 28. She is shown here at the Women’s March on Cleveland last January.(Thomas Ondrey/The Plain Dealer)

    MEDINA, Ohio – What is it like to be a Muslim woman in the United States?

    Julia Shearson, executive director of the Cleveland Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), will share her perspective at a dinner and talk Sept. 28 at the A.I. Root Community Room, 623 Liberty St.

    Her talk is a program of the Medina County branch of the American Association of University Women.

    The evening will start with dinner at 6 p.m., followed by Shearson’s presentation at 7:15 p.m. Her talk is free and open to the public. The dinner, catered by Miss Molly’s Tea Room, is $19 per person.

    Shearson has headed the Cleveland chapter of CAIR, the largest Muslim civil rights advocacy organization in the United States, for 13 years.

    During that time, she has won awards and recognition for her work promoting diversity and mutual understanding.

    The AAUW works to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research.

    For reservations or more information about the program, call 330-725-4950 or email programs.reserve@zoominternet.net.

  • Update on Supreme Court Decision Regarding the Muslim Ban

    Update on Supreme Court Decision Regarding the Muslim Ban

    The US Supreme Court will hear the Muslim Ban cases in October. In the meantime they have lifted the injunctions on parts of the ban.

    Here are the main points you need to know:
    Starting Thursday June 29 at 8:00 pm If you are from these 6 countries (Iran, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Libya and Sudan) and don’t have a bona fide relationship (personal, work, study) AND don’t already have a visa by June 28, 2017 – you can’t get a visa or enter the United States for 90 days starting June 29, 2017. (more…)

  • President Trump Just Sold Away Your Internet Privacy

    President Trump Just Sold Away Your Internet Privacy

    Yesterday, President Trump rolled-back FCC protections designed to stop your internet provider from selling your internet history without your permission. Now ISPs can make a quick buck by selling your data to big business or even the government.  The changes go farther, allowing ISPs to implement new technologies to spy on their users and break the encryption that keeps millions of Americans depend on.

    At a time when we spend an expanding part of our lives online, digital privacy is indispensable to our civil rights.  CAIR-Ohio recently helped file a brief in federal court, arguing that a warrant should be needed to search your phone at the border.   (more…)

  • Tell Your House Representative to Vote No on Repealing Supervisor Liability for Discrimination

    Tell Your House Representative to Vote No on Repealing Supervisor Liability for Discrimination

    A bill now in the Ohio House would repeal the right of discrimination and retaliation victims to file civil suit against supervisors who unlawfully harass, discriminate or retaliate against them. This will have an impact on victims of many types of discrimination, including Muslims who suffer from discrimination based on religion or national origin.

    Tell your House Representative to VOTE NO on House Bill 2. It would repeal decades of Ohio law holding companies and their managers responsible for the costs of their unlawful discrimination and retaliation. (more…)

  • CAIR Welcomes Hawaii Judge’s Order Blocking Trump’s ‘Muslim Ban 2.0’ Nationwide

    CAIR Welcomes Hawaii Judge’s Order Blocking Trump’s ‘Muslim Ban 2.0’ Nationwide

    (WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/15/2017) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, tonight welcomed an order issued by a federal judge in Hawaii blocking President Trump’s new “Muslim Ban 2.0” executive order.

    That presidential executive order, issued March 6, preserved major components of the original Muslim ban, including halting new visas and green cards for people from six majority-Muslim countries — Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen – stopping all refugees from entering the United States for 120 days and limiting total refugee admissions. The ban was set to go into effect just after midnight tonight. (more…)

  • Summary of Muslim Ban 2.0

    Summary of Muslim Ban 2.0

    PHASE IN PERIOD

    – The Travel Ban 2.0 will not go into effect until March 16, 2017 and the older order, signed on January 27, 2017 has been replaced.

    TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
    – Ban will not apply to lawful permanent residents and current visa holders. However, expect high scrutiny at the border when entering. (more…)

  • CAIR-Ohio Expresses Solidarity with Ohio Jewish Community in Wake of Bomb Threats

    CAIR-Ohio Expresses Solidarity with Ohio Jewish Community in Wake of Bomb Threats

    CAIR National Offers $5000 Reward for Info

    (COLUMBUS, OH 2/21/17) – The Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today expressed solidarity with and support for the Jewish community after a wave of bomb threats targeted community centers nationwide, including the Mandel JCC in Cleveland.  In January, JCCs in Cincinnati and Columbus were also targeted. (more…)

  • Important Information About the “Muslim Ban”

    Important Information About the “Muslim Ban”

    Like you, we only recently received the final, signed copies of President Trump’s Executive Orders targeting Muslims and refugees. And like you, we are appalled at these attempts to erode our American values by targeting individuals based on race, religion, and national origin.

    A complete analysis will take time, but we continue to hear from many of you, worried about what this means for your families and friends. Accordingly, we wanted to reach out and offer some preliminary guidance. We will send out more details as they become clear. (more…)

  • CAIR-Cleveland Calls for Bias Probe of Shooting Targeting Muslim Teen

    CAIR-Cleveland Calls for Bias Probe of Shooting Targeting Muslim Teen

    Muslim civil rights group asks that bail be denied to alleged shooter, seeks hate crime enhancements

    (CLEVELAND, OHIO, 12/1/16) – The Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland) today called on local, state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate a possible bias motive for the November 26 shooting of a Muslim teenager and to seek all relevant hate crime enhancements under Ohio statutes. CAIR is also asking that the alleged perpetrator be denied bail.

    The 16-year-old Lakewood High School student, who was wearing an Islamic head covering called a “kufi” at the time of the alleged attack, says he was walking home from his part-time job when he was shot by an armed man who then fled the scene. According to the Muslim teenager, the alleged perpetrator called him a “terrorist” and “Taliban b*ch” before the shooting. The victim was struck in the shoulder and was left bleeding at the scene. (Cuyahoga County Case Number: CR-16-611940-A)

    SEE: Lakewood Man Arrested for Shooting 16-Year-Old

    Lakewood Teenager Shot in the Arm

    (more…)