Public Policy & NGOs
Here's a look at documents from public policy and non-governmental organizations
Featured Stories
Trump's "Big Tech First" Agenda On Display with Outrageous Visa Bans on EU Officials
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 [Category: Political] -- Public Citizen issued the following news release:
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Trump's "Big Tech First" Agenda On Display with Outrageous Visa Bans on EU Officials
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WASHINGTON, D.C. Yesterday, the Trump administration imposed visa bans on a former European Union Commissioner, and four other European individuals involved in the implementation of the European Union's Digital Services Act. This follows similar actions taken earlier this year, when the administration it revoked visas of various Brazilian officials, accusing them of censoring U.S. social media companies while
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 [Category: Political] -- Public Citizen issued the following news release:
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Trump's "Big Tech First" Agenda On Display with Outrageous Visa Bans on EU Officials
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WASHINGTON, D.C. Yesterday, the Trump administration imposed visa bans on a former European Union Commissioner, and four other European individuals involved in the implementation of the European Union's Digital Services Act. This follows similar actions taken earlier this year, when the administration it revoked visas of various Brazilian officials, accusing them of censoring U.S. social media companies whileimplementing their laws, and also launched a questionable Section 301 investigation into Brazil's digital sector regulations.
In response, Melinda St Louis, Global Trade Watch Director at Public Citizen issued the following statement:
"This outrageous misuse of executive power is part of Trump's systematic 'Big Tech First' agenda, targeting countries that are attempting to regulate tech companies in the public interest. Revoking the visas of EU officials and various civil society campaigners for holding tech companies accountable for social media harms shows just how far the Trump administration will go to bat for Big Tech companies.
"This is yet another egregious example of the Trump administration carrying water for Big Tech, through its trade agenda, recent trade negotiations, and its domestic deregulatory policies.
"Immigration or trade policy should not be used as a tool to attack foreign countries' democratically enacted digital laws. Rather than protect American consumers, workers or communities from the harms of Big Tech greed, the Trump administration has clearly indicated it is willing to use all tools at its disposal to protect the profits of his tech buddies."
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Original text here: https://www.citizen.org/news/trumps-big-tech-first-agenda-on-display-with-outrageous-visa-bans-on-eu-officials/
Study: The surprising impact of COVID-19 on urban bird beaks
SANTA FE, New Mexico, Dec. 24 [Category: Political] -- Santa Fe Institute posted the following news release:
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Study: The surprising impact of COVID-19 on urban bird beaks
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, biologists at UCLA documented a natural experiment as it played out among a population of dark-eyed juncos in Los Angeles. The pandemic lockdowns offered a rare chance to study the impacts of human activity on urban wildlife, and one impact on local juncos was a rapid change in beak morphology. In a recent paper in PNAS, SFI External Professor Pamela Yeh and co-author Eleanor Diamant describe
... Show Full Article
SANTA FE, New Mexico, Dec. 24 [Category: Political] -- Santa Fe Institute posted the following news release:
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Study: The surprising impact of COVID-19 on urban bird beaks
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, biologists at UCLA documented a natural experiment as it played out among a population of dark-eyed juncos in Los Angeles. The pandemic lockdowns offered a rare chance to study the impacts of human activity on urban wildlife, and one impact on local juncos was a rapid change in beak morphology. In a recent paper in PNAS, SFI External Professor Pamela Yeh and co-author Eleanor Diamant describehow, in the first two years of the pandemic, juncos' bills began to grow longer and more slender more like the beaks of their forest-dwelling kin whose beaks are adapted to foraging for seeds. As the UCLA campus reopened, the urban juncos' beaks returned to their pre-pandemic, urban-adapted shape shorter, stouter, and suited to scavenging for human food scraps.
During this anthropause, which saw a seven-fold decrease in human activity across the UCLA campus in Fall 2021 compared with the campus reopening in Fall 2022, aligned with minimal dining options and a reduction in food waste across campus. "All birds that hatched in 2020 and 2021 experienced low human activity in their early life," the authors write. "As such, we can isolate immediate and cumulative impacts of lower human activity including food waste on the junco population's morphological response." The surprising findings highlight the substantial and inadvertent impact humans can have on other species around us.
Read the paper "Rapid morphological change in an urban bird due to COVID-19 restrictions" in PNAS (December 15, 2025). Doi: 10.1073/pnas.2520996122
MORE
" How the Pandemic Lockdowns Changed a Songbird's Beak," The New York Times (December 15, 2025)
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Original text here: https://www.santafe.edu/news-center/news/study-the-surprising-impact-of-covid-19-on-urban-bird-beaks
CAIR-NY Welcomes Arrest of Suspect in Crown Heights Stabbing
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 [Category: Sociological] -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
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CAIR-NY Welcomes Arrest of Suspect in Crown Heights Stabbing
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The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY), a chapter of the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the arrest of an alleged perpetrator in a Crown Heights stabbing.
SEE: Brooklyn Man Arrested, Charged With Hate Crime in Crown Heights Stabbing
The incident took place Tuesday afternoon near the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 [Category: Sociological] -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
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CAIR-NY Welcomes Arrest of Suspect in Crown Heights Stabbing
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The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY), a chapter of the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the arrest of an alleged perpetrator in a Crown Heights stabbing.
SEE: Brooklyn Man Arrested, Charged With Hate Crime in Crown Heights Stabbing
The incident took place Tuesday afternoon near the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquartersin Crown Heights, stemming from a verbal altercation between an unidentified suspect and a 35-year-old victim.
In a statement, Afaf Nasher, Esq., CAIR-NY Executive Director, said:
"We applaud the swift arrest of the suspect in Crown Heights hate crime stabbing. While this alleged act of antisemitic violence is reprehensible, the quick response from authorities sends a clear message: hate-fueled violence will not be tolerated. We stand with the victim and the entire community in calling for justice and safety for all."
She said CAIR and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging antisemitism, systemic anti-Black racism, xenophobia, anti-Muslim hate, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
CAIR-NY's mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La mision de CAIR-NY es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprension del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: Afaf Nasher, Esq., CAIR-NY Executive Director, 917-669-4006, anasher@cair.com ; CAIR-NY Communications Team, comms@ny.cair.com
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Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-ny-welcomes-arrest-of-suspect-in-crown-heights-stabbing/
CAIR Welcomes Ruling Granting Attorney's Fees in Case Over Right of Arkansas Muslim Incarcerees to Gather for Communal Prayer in Prison
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 [Category: Sociological] -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
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CAIR Welcomes Ruling Granting Attorney's Fees in Case Over Right of Arkansas Muslim Incarcerees to Gather for Communal Prayer in Prison
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The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights organization, today welcomed a ruling granting attorney's fees to CAIR and another legal group in the case in which they represented a Muslim incarceree in a case alleging that the Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC) failed to accommodate
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 [Category: Sociological] -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
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CAIR Welcomes Ruling Granting Attorney's Fees in Case Over Right of Arkansas Muslim Incarcerees to Gather for Communal Prayer in Prison
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The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights organization, today welcomed a ruling granting attorney's fees to CAIR and another legal group in the case in which they represented a Muslim incarceree in a case alleging that the Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC) failed to accommodatehis religious practices.
Earlier this year, CAIR announced a major federal court order requiring the ADC to provide Muslims their own weekly prayer service, or Jummah.
CAIR and Professor Douglas Laycock filed the lawsuit in 2019 on behalf of three incarcerated Muslims, Gregory Holt, Wayde Stewart, and Rodney Martin challenging ADC's policy of requiring Muslims to pray with others who did not share their religion. The lawsuit challenged ADC's policy under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, which requires jails and prisons to accommodate the sincerely-held religious beliefs of incarcerees.
"This ruling affirms that protecting religious freedom behind prison walls is not optional and that institutions will be held accountable when they violate federal law," said Gadeir Abbas, Deputy Litigation Director at CAIR National. "Muslim incarcerated people do not lose their right to practice their faith simply because they are in custody, and Jummah prayer is a core religious obligation that must be respected."
He added that Washington, D.C., based CAIR offers an educational toolkit, called "A Correctional Institution's Guide to Islamic Religious Practices," to help correctional officers and administrators gain a better understanding of Islam and Muslims.
SEE: A Correctional Institution's Guide to Islamic Religious Practices
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CONTACT : Gadeir Abbas, CAIR Deputy Litigation Director, (202) 742-6420, gabbas@cair.com ; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com
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Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-welcomes-ruling-granting-attorneys-fees-in-case-over-right-of-arkansas-muslim-incarcerees-to-gather-for-communal-prayer-in-prison/
CAIR Welcomes Arrest of Utah Man for Alleged Antisemitic Threats
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 [Category: Sociological] -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
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CAIR Welcomes Arrest of Utah Man for Alleged Antisemitic Threats
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The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the arrest of a Utah man who allegedly made antisemitic threats on X (formerly Twitter) and was reportedly in possession of multiple homemade bombs and an assault rifle.
Skyler Rose, 21, was arrested on suspicion of committing several felonies, including manufacturing
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 [Category: Sociological] -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
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CAIR Welcomes Arrest of Utah Man for Alleged Antisemitic Threats
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The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the arrest of a Utah man who allegedly made antisemitic threats on X (formerly Twitter) and was reportedly in possession of multiple homemade bombs and an assault rifle.
Skyler Rose, 21, was arrested on suspicion of committing several felonies, including manufacturingor possessing a weapon of mass destruction, threat of terrorism and prohibited conduct with a dangerous weapon.
"Alleged threats of violence motivated by antisemitism or any other form of bigotry must be taken seriously and addressed swiftly by law enforcement," said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. "We welcome this arrest and reaffirm that hate-fueled threats and violence have no place in our society."
He said CAIR and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging antisemitism, systemic anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
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CONTACT : CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com
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Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-welcomes-arrest-of-utah-man-for-alleged-antisemitic-threats/
CAIR ISLAM-OPED: Love for Jesus Can Bring Christians and Muslims Together
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 [Category: Sociological] -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
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CAIR ISLAM-OPED: Love for Jesus Can Bring Christians and Muslims Together
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IMPORTANT NOTE: This commentary was very popular with readers nationwide when it was first distributed before Christmas a number of years ago. It is being offered again this year for those publications that were unable to publish it previously.
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ISLAM-OPED is a syndication service of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) designed to offer an American Muslim perspective on
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 [Category: Sociological] -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
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CAIR ISLAM-OPED: Love for Jesus Can Bring Christians and Muslims Together
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IMPORTANT NOTE: This commentary was very popular with readers nationwide when it was first distributed before Christmas a number of years ago. It is being offered again this year for those publications that were unable to publish it previously.
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ISLAM-OPED is a syndication service of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) designed to offer an American Muslim perspective oncurrent political, social and religious issues. ISLAM-OPED commentaries are offered free-of-charge to one media outlet in each market area. Permission for publication will be granted on a first-come-first-served basis.
Please consider the following commentary for publication.
CONTACT: ihooper@cair.com
TEL: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726 (c)
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Love for Jesus Can Bring Christians, Muslims Together
By Ibrahim Hooper
[Ibrahim Hooper is National Communications Director for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil liberties group. He may be contacted at: ihooper@cair.com ]
"Behold! The angels said: 'O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him. His name will be Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and in (the company of) those nearest to God.'"
Before searching for this quote in the New Testament, you might first ask your Muslim co-worker, friend or neighbor for a copy of the Quran, Islam's revealed text. The quote is from verse 45 of chapter 3 in the Quran.
It is well known, particularly in this holiday season, that Christians follow what they believe to be the teachings of Jesus. What is less well understood is that Muslims also love and revere Jesus as one of God's greatest messengers to mankind.
Other verses in the Quran, regarded by Muslims as the direct word of God, state that Jesus was strengthened with the "Holy Spirit" (2:87) and is a "sign for the whole world." (21:91) His virgin birth was confirmed when Mary is quoted as asking: "How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me?" (3:47)
The Quran shows Jesus speaking from the cradle and, with God's permission, curing lepers and the blind. (5:110) God also states in the Quran: "We gave (Jesus) the Gospel (Injeel) and put compassion and mercy into the hearts of his followers." (57:27)
As forces of hate in this country and worldwide try to pull Muslims and Christians apart, we are in desperate need of a unifying force that can bridge the widening gap of interfaith misunderstanding and mistrust. That force could be the message of love, peace and forgiveness taught by Jesus and accepted by followers of both faiths.
Christians and Muslims would do well to consider another verse in the Quran reaffirming God's eternal message of spiritual unity: "Say ye: 'We believe in God and the revelation given to us and to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and it is unto Him that we surrender ourselves.'" (2:136)
The Prophet Muhammad himself sought to erase any distinctions between the message he taught and that taught by Jesus, who he called God's "spirit and word." Prophet Muhammad said: "Both in this world and in the Hereafter, I am the nearest of all people to Jesus, the son of Mary. The prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is one."
When Muslims mention the Prophet Muhammad, they always add the phrase "peace be upon him." Christians may be surprised to learn that the same phrase always follows a Muslim's mention of Jesus or that we believe Jesus will return to earth in the last days before the final judgment. Disrespect toward Jesus, as we have seen all too often in our society, is very offensive to Muslims.
Unfortunately, violent events and hate-filled rhetoric around the world provide ample opportunity for promoting religious hostility. And yes, Muslims and Christians do have some differing perspectives on Jesus' life and teachings. But his spiritual legacy offers an alternative opportunity for people of faith to recognize their shared religious heritage.
America's Muslim community stands ready to honor that legacy by building bridges of interfaith understanding and challenging those who would divide our nation along religious or ethnic lines.
We have more in common than we think.
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Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-islam-oped-love-for-jesus-can-bring-christians-and-muslims-together-8/
BREAKING: CAIR, CAIR-Texas Address Texas AG Paxton's Attempt to Avoid Judicial Ruling on Merits of 'Unconstitutional' Abbott Proclamation
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 [Category: Sociological] -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
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BREAKING: CAIR, CAIR-Texas Address Texas AG Paxton's Attempt to Avoid Judicial Ruling on Merits of 'Unconstitutional' Abbott Proclamation
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Muslim civil rights group responds to Paxton's claim that the proclamation does not apply to CAIR-Texas and that the order raises a political question courts cannot resolve.
The Texas chapter and national headquarters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 [Category: Sociological] -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
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BREAKING: CAIR, CAIR-Texas Address Texas AG Paxton's Attempt to Avoid Judicial Ruling on Merits of 'Unconstitutional' Abbott Proclamation
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Muslim civil rights group responds to Paxton's claim that the proclamation does not apply to CAIR-Texas and that the order raises a political question courts cannot resolve.
The Texas chapter and national headquarters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacyorganization, today said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's response to CAIR's lawsuit challenging Governor Abbott's Nov. 18th proclamation targeting CAIR is further evidence that the proclamation is unconstitutional.
Instead of defending the merits of Governor Abbott's Nov. 18th proclamation, which unilaterally declared CAIR a "foreign terrorist organization" without any due process, Attorney General Paxton is now arguing that the proclamation does not apply to CAIR's Texas chapters and that they therefore cannot sue to block its enforcement, that the Attorney General is immune from being sued because he has not yet taken any action against CAIR, and that the court should not rule on the order's constitutionality at all because, he claims, it raises a "political question" that courts cannot resolve.
In a joint statement, CAIR-Texas said:
"Although Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's is now claiming that Governor Abbott's unconstitutional order does not apply to CAIR-Texas, the sweeping order makes no such distinction and this backtracking will not restore our ability to fully, freely and fearlessly serve the people of Texas so as long as the executive order remains in place. We look forward to seeing Governor Abbott and Attorney General Paxton in court and defeating this unconstitutional attack on the rights of all Texans."
In a statement, Washington, DC-based CAIR said:
"Attorney General Paxton's response to CAIR's lawsuit is another clear sign that the proclamation issued by Governor Abbott is unconstitutional. By trying to argue that the proclamation does not apply to CAIR-Texas and by arguing that the order raises a political question courts cannot resolve, Mr. Paxton has signaled the weakness of this proclamation. We look forward to arguing that the judiciary has the power to decide whether the governor of a state can unilaterally label any American organization he dislikes a 'terrorist group' and impose sweeping punishments on that group without any process."
In a joint statement, CAIR Legal Defense Fund and the Muslim Legal Fund of America, which represent CAIR-Texas, said:
"Attorney General Paxton now argues that Governor Abbott's proclamation was directed at CAIR as a national civil rights organization. But the proclamation names CAIR without any such distinction and has immediate, foreseeable effects on CAIR's Texas chapters and the Texans they serveby stigmatizing the organization, deterring association, and inviting exclusion.
"A state official may not publicly brand a domestic civil rights organization a "terrorist" entity without any process and then disclaim responsibility for the foreseeable harm that followsparticularly where the designation is used to stigmatize, deter association, and justify exclusion.
"Courts routinely review executive actions that impose sweeping legal and reputational consequences while attempting to avoid accountability through technical distinctions. CAIR looks forward to seeing Mr. Abbott in court and arguing that our judicial system has the authority to review this proclamation on the merits."
BACKGROUNDER:
Last month, the Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA), the CAIR Legal Defense Fund (CAIR LDF) and Akeel & Valentine, PLC announced the filing a federal lawsuit against Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton to block enforcement of Abbott's similar "unconstitutional and defamatory" Nov. 18th proclamation, which decreed CAIR a "foreign terrorist organization" and threatened various civil penalties against the civil rights organization if it continues to serve the people of Texas.
CAIR Op-Ed: Abbott's attacks on Muslims draw on an old religious bigotry playbook
CAIR's mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La mision de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprension del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT : CAIR-DFW Executive Director Mustafaa Carroll, (832) 549-1042, mcarroll@cair.com; CAIR-Texas Austin Chapter Civic Engagement Organizer Sameeha Rizvi, 512-893-1371, srizvi@cair.com; Imran Ghani, Executive Director, CAIR-Houston, ighani@cair.com, 713-922-5270; John T. Floyd, CAIR National Board Member, CAIR-Texas Houston, 713-254-2016, jfloyd@cair.com; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com
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Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/breaking-cair-cair-texas-address-texas-ag-paxtons-attempt-to-avoid-judicial-ruling-on-merits-of-unconstitutional-abbott-proclamation/
