Public Policy & NGOs
Here's a look at documents from public policy and non-governmental organizations
Featured Stories
Library of Things Receives Keep Jacksonville Beautiful Award
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 [Category: Biology] -- The Center for Biological Diversity posted the following news release:
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Library of Things Receives Keep Jacksonville Beautiful Award
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The Keep Jacksonville Beautiful Commission recognized the University of North Florida's Department of Housing and Residence Life and Center for Biological Diversity today in an award ceremony honoring the libraries of things project launched on campus in 2024. The award, received by Center Fellow Chandler Poole, celebrates the environmental benefits of libraries of things, which reduce needless
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 [Category: Biology] -- The Center for Biological Diversity posted the following news release:
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Library of Things Receives Keep Jacksonville Beautiful Award
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The Keep Jacksonville Beautiful Commission recognized the University of North Florida's Department of Housing and Residence Life and Center for Biological Diversity today in an award ceremony honoring the libraries of things project launched on campus in 2024. The award, received by Center Fellow Chandler Poole, celebrates the environmental benefits of libraries of things, which reduce needlessconsumption and waste.
"This award recognizes the importance of systems that make it easy for people to borrow instead of buying, and how easy it is to make this happen on every campus and in every community," said Kelley Dennings, a senior campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity. "Libraries of things reduce environmental harm, protect wildlife habitat and decrease people's consumption while helping students borrow items they may not be able to afford."
A library of things is a collection of non-traditional items you can borrow, from tools to games to kitchen equipment and technology. Last year the Center and Shareable a national nonprofit building libraries of things around the country worked with students and staff to build libraries at the welcome desk of three University of North Florida residence halls. The libraries were stocked with new and gently used donations after surveying students to determine what items would be most useful.
"Every time a student borrows items like pots, pans or board games, it helps them save money and prevents stuff from being purchased unnecessarily," said Chandler Poole, a former fellow with Shareable and the Center for Biological Diversity. "It may seem like a small step, but borrowing and sharing instead of buying new things disrupts the demand for endless growth that exploits people and the planet."
Campus libraries of things can support sustainability goals and student life at every college and university across the country. The Center recently published a how-to guide to help staff and students open these libraries on their college campus.
The annual awards from the Keep Jacksonville Beautiful Commission and the city of Jacksonville celebrate individuals, organizations, businesses and schools that have made strides to keep the city clean.
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Original text here: https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/library-of-things-receives-keep-jacksonville-beautiful-award-2025-11-21/
Late-Stage Lung Cancer Diagnoses Plummet to a New Low in the Bronx
BRONX, New York, Nov. 21 -- Montefiore Einstein issued the following news release:
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Late-Stage Lung Cancer Diagnoses Plummet to a New Low in the Bronx
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center Dramatically Reverses the Outlook of Lung Cancer Through Novel Screening, Early Intervention, Precision Care and Community Engagement
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Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC) is proud to announce that for the first time in decades, more people in its community are being diagnosed with stage I, versus stage IV lung cancer. The five-year survival rate for stage I or II lung
... Show Full Article
BRONX, New York, Nov. 21 -- Montefiore Einstein issued the following news release:
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Late-Stage Lung Cancer Diagnoses Plummet to a New Low in the Bronx
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center Dramatically Reverses the Outlook of Lung Cancer Through Novel Screening, Early Intervention, Precision Care and Community Engagement
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Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC) is proud to announce that for the first time in decades, more people in its community are being diagnosed with stage I, versus stage IV lung cancer. The five-year survival rate for stage I or II lungcancer is more than 65%, compared to just 8% for later-stage III and IV disease, according to the American Lung Association. MECCC clinicians are now finding cancers when they are most treatable and curable thanks to enhanced screening, novel care, access to clinical trials, and community education.
For several decades, the Bronx has experienced higher-than-average lung cancer mortality rates compared with other New York City boroughs, primarily due to Bronxites being diagnosed at later stages of disease. Today's lifesaving "stage shift," driven by MECCC's internationally acclaimed lung team, is expected to drive up survival rates. Early detection enables 95% of lung cancer operations at Montefiore Einstein to be performed with minimally invasive "lung sparing" techniques. This allows greater preservation of normal lung function so Bronx residents can return to enjoying full lives post-cancer treatment.
"It is nothing short of remarkable to see our comprehensive cancer efforts completely change the trajectory of lung cancer care and survival over the last four years," said Brendon Stiles, M.D., professor and chief, thoracic surgery and surgical oncology, Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery at Montefiore and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and associate director, Surgical Services, MECCC. "With our patient-first philosophy and comprehensive suite of programs like our incidental lung nodule clinic, we're screening more people earlier and are enrolling approximately 20% of our patients with screen detected lung cancer into clinical trials to ensure Bronx residents benefit from tomorrow's cancer therapies, today."
Introducing New Ways to Address an Old Problem
Lung cancer is the second most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. A combination of factors contributes to lung cancer, including air pollution, exposure to radon (a natural, radioactive gas), tobacco use, secondhand smoke, and genetics.
To identify cancer at an earlier stage, MECCC ramped up the low dose lung cancer screening program and introduced a Follow-Up ASsessmenT of Lung Nodules (FAST) Clinic. The clinic leverages artificial intelligence and clinical education to guide patients with lung nodules unexpectedly found during X-rays or chest scans, unrelated to cancer care at Montefiore Einstein (like trauma, chest pain, or cardiac workups). The team is also exploring blood-based assays to triage people who have the highest risk of cancer and to ensure expedited care. Since its opening in 2021, the FAST clinic has received more than 1,000 referrals, and of these referrals more than 80 patients have been diagnosed with lung cancer and cared for at MECCC.
These efforts are supported by a robust clinical trial program exploring the use of precision medicine and targeted therapies for individuals with high-risk early stage lung cancer to those with more advanced disease.
The Center of it All
A key contributor to MECCC's success in reversing the severity of lung disease in the Bronx is that its patients are at the center of every effort. Drawing from the principles of Community-Based Participatory Research, MECCC's lung team co-created educational materials in partnership with its Bronx community that were relevant and language appropriate. This content is coupled with trained nurse and peer navigators to address social hardships that are often overlooked in daily practice, for instance lack of transportation.
The achievement in reversing late stage lung cancer diagnoses follows MECCC's lung cancer team recognition this past September by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer for delivering outstanding cancer care. This same team, which was nominated by patients, family members and caregivers for that honor, was the only award recipient in North America.
"When an irregularity was found on my CT scan, Dr. Stiles quickly arranged for my surgery," said Paulie Ammirato, a Bronx resident and former engineering director at Montefiore, who had stage IA lung cancer. "Everything went as planned and I recovered earlier than expected. Any spot on a lung must be looked at as soon as possible. Don't delay care. With the quick treatment and support of Dr. Stiles and his excellent team, I'm healthy and back to my active lifestyle. There's nothing more important than your health and I'm forever thankful for this team and the excellent nursing care at Montefiore for their follow through. They were my guardian angels."
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About Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC) is a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center and a national leader in cancer research and clinical care located in the racially and ethnically diverse borough of the Bronx, N.Y. MECCC combines the exceptional science of Albert Einstein College of Medicine with the multidisciplinary and team-based approach to cancer clinical care at Montefiore Health System. Founded in 1971 and an NCI-designated cancer center since 1972, MECCC is redefining excellence in cancer research, clinical care, education and training, and community outreach and engagement. Its mission is to reduce the burden of cancer for all, especially people from historically underrepresented groups.
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Original text here: https://montefioreeinstein.org/news/2025/11/20/late-stage-lung-cancer-diagnoses-plummet-new-low-bronx
[Category: Health Care]
Court Orders IRS to Stop Sharing Confidential Taxpayer Information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 [Category: Political] -- Democracy Forward, an organization that says it advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy and public education and regulatory engagement, issued the following news release:
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Court Orders IRS to Stop Sharing Confidential Taxpayer Information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Decision Follows Preliminary Ruling in September, Marks Major Victory for Taxpayers' Privacy
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A federal court has blocked the Trump-Vance Administration's unprecedented efforts to skirt federal privacy laws that protected taxpayers' sensitive
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 [Category: Political] -- Democracy Forward, an organization that says it advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy and public education and regulatory engagement, issued the following news release:
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Court Orders IRS to Stop Sharing Confidential Taxpayer Information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Decision Follows Preliminary Ruling in September, Marks Major Victory for Taxpayers' Privacy
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A federal court has blocked the Trump-Vance Administration's unprecedented efforts to skirt federal privacy laws that protected taxpayers' sensitiveinformation. The court's stay will prevent the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from sharing data on millions of taxpayers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The order comes in a case brought by a coalition of small businesses, a low-income tax clinic, and two unions represented by Democracy Forward, which filed an emergency motion to challenge IRS's dangerous data sharing.
In an order issued today, the court found that the disclosures of taxpayer address information by IRS to ICE were likely unlawful, which expanded an earlier order that had temporarily prevented confidential taxpayer data from being shared by the IRS with ICE without giving the court and plaintiffs 24 hours advance notice so that either could take further action. The new court order found that there was imminent risk that taxpayer address information would be impermissibly used for immigration enforcement.
The organizations working to defend privacy in Center for Taxpayer Rights et al. v Internal Revenue Service et al include the Center for Taxpayer Rights, Main Street Alliance, Communications Workers of America, and the National Federation of Federal Employees.
"This is an important win for millions of people in America whose information has been threatened by the Trump-Vance administration, and represents the first injunction against this unlawful data sharing. The privacy laws enacted in the post-Watergate era exist to prevent abuses of power like this and yet leaders in the IRS and ICE launched this effort," said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. "Paying your taxes does not forfeit your right to privacy. Democracy Forward is honored to represent this expansive coalition of brave plaintiffs holding the administration accountable and protecting the privacy of millions of Americans."
The legal team at Democracy Forward on this case includes Daniel A. McGrath, Maddy Gitomer, Johanna M. Hickman, Robin F. Thurston, Steven Y. Bressler, and Skye L. Perryman.
The court's opinion can be found here (https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/CTR-v-IRS-Opinion.pdf), and the order can be found here (https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/CTR-PI-Order.pdf).
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Democracy Forward Foundation is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.
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Original text here: https://democracyforward.org/updates/court-orders-irs-to-stop-sharing-confidential-taxpayer-information-with-immigration-and-customs-enforcement/
CAIR Welcomes Federal Court Order Delaying Trump Administration's Termination of TPS for Syria
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 [Category: Sociological] -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
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CAIR Welcomes Federal Court Order Delaying Trump Administration's Termination of TPS for Syria
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The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed a federal court's decision ordering the Department of Homeland Security to delay its planned termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syria which is still engulfed in nearly 14 years of civil war, displacement, and humanitarian
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 [Category: Sociological] -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
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CAIR Welcomes Federal Court Order Delaying Trump Administration's Termination of TPS for Syria
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The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed a federal court's decision ordering the Department of Homeland Security to delay its planned termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syria which is still engulfed in nearly 14 years of civil war, displacement, and humanitariancatastrophe.
SEE: US judge blocks termination of temporary legal status for Syrians
The judge issued a verbal ruling postponing the administration's attempt to strip legal status and work authorization from more than 6,100 Syrian TPS holders and applicants. Without this urgent intervention, Syrians with long-standing roots in the United States would have lost their status as early as Friday, November 21.
"This ruling is a critical step toward protecting thousands of Syrian families who have built lives, careers, and communities in the United States," said Robert S. McCaw, CAIR Government Affairs Department Director. "The government's attempt to forcibly return people to an active warzone defies both law and basic human decency. Syrians deserve safety, stability, and due process, not politically motivated attacks on their legal status."
McCaw added: "CAIR stands with our partners fighting this case, and we urge the government to end its harmful, discriminatory campaign against TPS holders. The U.S. has a moral and legal obligation to protect people who cannot safely return to countries experiencing extreme conflict."
Last month, the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), Muslim Advocates, and Van Der Hout LLP filed suit challenging the administration's unlawful effort to terminate TPS for Syria. Although the Assad regime fell in late 2024, Syria continues to face record-level humanitarian needs, with more than 16 million people dependent on aid and millions displaced or living in devastated communities. Health systems, schools, water access, and essential infrastructure remain critically degraded, making safe return impossible for the vast majority of Syrians.
In September, CAIR urged the extension of TPS for Syria, citing the ongoing armed conflict, lack of safe return conditions, and the life-threatening consequences of forcing Syrians back prematurely.
SEE: CAIR Calls End of Temporary Protected Status for Syrians 'Premature,' Urges Extension Until Rebuilding and Safety Make Returns Possible
CAIR also applauds the leadership of IRAP, Muslim Advocates, Van Der Hout LLP, and community advocates who moved swiftly to stop the imminent harm facing TPS holders.
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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-federal-court-order-delaying-trump-administrations-termination-of-tps-for-syria/
Breaking: Ohio Court Rejects City's Effort to Shutter Church's Temporary Shelter Ministry
PLANO, Texas, Nov. 21 [Category: Sociological] -- The First Liberty Institute, an organization that says it is dedicated to defending liberty for all Americans, issued the following news release:
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Breaking: Ohio Court Rejects City's Effort to Shutter Church's Temporary Shelter Ministry
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Bryan, OH Today, Ohio's Sixth District Court of Appeals reversed an injunction that had shut down the religious activities of Dad's Place and Pastor Chris Avell. The decision allows Dad's Place, a Bryan, Ohio church, to continue its temporary shelter ministry as the city prosecutes its civil enforcement
... Show Full Article
PLANO, Texas, Nov. 21 [Category: Sociological] -- The First Liberty Institute, an organization that says it is dedicated to defending liberty for all Americans, issued the following news release:
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Breaking: Ohio Court Rejects City's Effort to Shutter Church's Temporary Shelter Ministry
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Bryan, OH Today, Ohio's Sixth District Court of Appeals reversed an injunction that had shut down the religious activities of Dad's Place and Pastor Chris Avell. The decision allows Dad's Place, a Bryan, Ohio church, to continue its temporary shelter ministry as the city prosecutes its civil enforcementaction in the trial court. The appeal of Pastor Avell's criminal conviction remains pending. First Liberty Institute and the law firms Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, and Spengler Nathanson PLL represent Dad's Place and Pastor Avell.
You can read the opinion here.
Jeremy Dys, Senior Counsel at First Liberty Institute said, "We are grateful that the court recognized the weighty issues of Constitutional law at hand and ensured that Dad's Place can continue operating its vital ministry as temperatures begin to drop in Bryan. We hope this decision will also serve as the turning point in this case, and that the City will end its two-year campaign against the Church and Pastor Chris."
Steve Hartman of Spengler Nathanson added, "We are grateful to the court for recognizing the urgent need to protect the free exercise rights of Dad's Place and Pastor Chris."
"Ohio and federal law alike protect vital ministries like Dad's Place, and we are grateful to the court for recognizing that those laws must be enforced with great vigor," said Philip Williamson of Taft.
Brad Hubbard, an appellate partner at Gibson Dunn, said, "With Thanksgiving around the corner, we are thankful for the court's careful attention to the facts and the law in this case. We're also thankful that Dad's Place is heading into the holiday season without an injunction hanging over its head. Religious exerciseincluding serving the most vulnerable at their time of greatest needdeserves the highest protection afforded by the law."
According to today's opinion, "Because the trial court erred in failing to address [Dad's Place's] arguments under the Ohio Conscience Clause we must remand the case to the trial court for further proceedings. On remand, the trial court is directed to consider [Dad's Place's] claim under the Ohio Constitution and to reconsider [Dad's Place's] free exercise claim under the U.S. Constitution using a strict scrutiny analysis."
Dad's Place is a church in northwest Ohio that operates 24-hours a day to serve the most vulnerable in its community. For over two years, the City of Bryan, Ohio has been attempting to shut down the Church's ministry through multiple criminal and civil proceedings, including 18 criminal zoning charges, middle-of-the-night fire inspections, and both criminal and civil fire code prosecutions. And while city officials demand the church install an expensive fire suppression system, the city does not require any of its motels, most of its apartment complexes, and even a senior living facility to install fire suppression systems in their buildings.
About First Liberty Institute
First Liberty Institute is a non-profit public interest law firm and the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans.
To arrange an interview, contact John Manning at media@firstliberty.org or by calling 972-941-4453.
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Original text here: https://firstliberty.org/media/breaking-ohio-court-rejects-citys-effort-to-shutter-churchs-temporary-shelter-ministry/
Bold Solutions Needed to Solve Hawaii's Insurance Crisis
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 [Category: Political] -- Public Citizen issued the following news release:
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Bold Solutions Needed to Solve Hawaii's Insurance Crisis
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WASHINGTON In the opening days of his tenure as Hawai`i's Insurance Commissioner, a coalition of local and national organizations have called on Scott Saiki to implement bold and immediate actions to address the insurance crisis in the state.
In a letter to the commissioner, the consumer protection, environmental, and economic justice advocacy groups called on Saiki to establish a climate risk supervision office and to strengthen protections
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 [Category: Political] -- Public Citizen issued the following news release:
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Bold Solutions Needed to Solve Hawaii's Insurance Crisis
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WASHINGTON In the opening days of his tenure as Hawai`i's Insurance Commissioner, a coalition of local and national organizations have called on Scott Saiki to implement bold and immediate actions to address the insurance crisis in the state.
In a letter to the commissioner, the consumer protection, environmental, and economic justice advocacy groups called on Saiki to establish a climate risk supervision office and to strengthen protectionsfor consumers by establishing protective measures that would ensure fair industry practices both before and after disasters strike.
"Climate change has fundamentally altered the insurance landscape," the groups write in the letter. "Traditional models for pricing risk, regulating solvency, and ensuring availability of coverage are increasingly out of step with current and future realities. In the absence of a forward-looking, public-centered regulatory framework, Hawai'i risks a destabilizing spiral of insurer withdrawal, skyrocketing premiums, and unprotected communities, particularly those already vulnerable to environmental and economic shocks."
The groups called on Commissioner Saiki to publish insurance data and modeling, which would allow the state to work more closely with research institutions, other states, and the insurance industry to identify systemic risks across the state and inform policy solutions to protect the residents of Hawai`i. The letter also highlights how Hawai'i could require insurers to play an active role in climate mitigation and resilience.
"The nation-wide insurance crisis has left Hawai`i at a crossroads, and Commissioner Saiki has an opportunity to lead the state down a safe pathway," said Carly Fabian, Senior Policy Advocate with Public Citizen's Climate Program. "Bold policy solutions in Hawai'i would reverberate across the mainland, and would build innovative, just, and constructive solutions to slow this crisis."
"To guard against the insurance crisis becoming a full-fledged financial crash, state regulators and legislators must strengthen their management of climate risks," said Jordan Haedtler, Climate Financial Strategist with Climate Cabinet Education. "Hawai`i's leadership has taken numerous actions to bolster climate resilience since the Maui wildfires two years ago, and Commissioner Saiki has an opportunity to continue carrying out that work through stronger insurance regulation."
"Unfortunately, our prior Commissioner failed to prepare for the foreseeable fallout from a series of devastating climate events leading up to the Maui tragedy - leaving our residents reeling, and our legislators scrambling, as insurance rates increased exponentially nearly overnight," said Wayne Chung Tanaka, director of the Sierra Club of Hawai`i. "We need our Commissioner Saiki to lead and succeed, which is why we've created a blueprint for him to help us restore and maintain our housing and overall economic stability, while holding polluters accountable for the devastation they are inflicting on our islands, our planet, and our future generations."
"Fossil fuel-driven climate change is making life more expensive for Hawai`i residents, most directly through higher rates and decreased availability of home insurance," said Iyla Shornstein, Political Director of the Center for Climate Integrity. "State leaders have taken important steps in recent years to ensure that insurance remains affordable and available, but more can be done to make sure that island residents aren`t the only ones being asked to pay for the rising costs of hurricanes, wildfires and sea level rise. Oil and gas companies knew decades ago their products would make these events more destructive; they should help cover the financial consequences."
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Original text here: https://www.citizen.org/news/bold-solutions-needed-to-solve-hawaiis-insurance-crisis/
BREAKING: CAIR and CAIR-Florida Welcome Arrests in USF Islamophobic Incident, Urges Swift Arrest of Third Suspect and Demands Progress in Hollywood Hate Crime Case
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 [Category: Sociological] -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
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BREAKING: CAIR and CAIR-Florida Welcome Arrests in USF Islamophobic Incident, Urges Swift Arrest of Third Suspect and Demands Progress in Hollywood Hate Crime Case
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The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and its Florida chapter (CAIR-Florida), the nation and state's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed news that the University of South Florida Police Department (USFPD) has filed felony hate-crime-enhanced charges against
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 [Category: Sociological] -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release:
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BREAKING: CAIR and CAIR-Florida Welcome Arrests in USF Islamophobic Incident, Urges Swift Arrest of Third Suspect and Demands Progress in Hollywood Hate Crime Case
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The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and its Florida chapter (CAIR-Florida), the nation and state's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed news that the University of South Florida Police Department (USFPD) has filed felony hate-crime-enhanced charges againsttwo men involved in the Islamophobic harassment of Muslim students praying inside a USF parking garage.
USFPD announced late Thursday that Christopher Svochak of Waco, Texas, and Richard Penskoski of Canyon, Oklahoma, have been charged with multiple offenses, including Disturbing schools and religious and other assemblies, upgraded to a felony under Florida's hate crime enhancement statute, along with misdemeanor counts of Disorderly Conduct and Disrupting School or Lawful Assembly. Both men, who have no affiliation with USF, are also being issued trespass warnings barring them from campus.
USFPD confirmed that a third suspect seen in the video remains unidentified, and the investigation is ongoing.
CAIR-Florida Calls for Swift Arrest of Third Suspect
In response to the update, CAIR-Florida Communications Director Wilfredo A. Ruiz said:
"CAIR-Florida welcomes the prompt action taken by USF Police and the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office in bringing charges against the two individuals responsible for harassing Muslim students as they engaged in prayer. These arrests send a clear message that Islamophobic intimidation on campus will not be tolerated.
"We now urge USF Police to continue their efforts to swiftly identify and arrest the third suspect seen in the video so that all individuals involved in this hateful incident are held fully accountable."
CAIR-Florida Urges Hollywood Police and FBI to Act on Second Hate Crime Incident
Ruiz also renewed CAIR-Florida's call for Hollywood Police and the FBI to move swiftly in the second, separate incident reported the same day in Hollywood, Fla., in which another group of Muslim students was harassed while praying publicly.
"In Hollywood, Muslim students were similarly targeted and harassed during prayer. We call on Hollywood Police and federal authorities, including the FBI, to fully investigate that incident as a potential hate crime, bring the perpetrators to justice, and reassure the community that such acts of bigotry will be treated with the seriousness they deserve," Ruiz said.
Growing Climate of Anti-Muslim Hostility
CAIR-Florida notes that these incidents occur amid a sharp rise in reported Islamophobic harassment and hate-motivated behavior across the country. The organization continues to urge educational institutions, local governments, and law enforcement agencies to take proactive steps to safeguard Muslim students and ensure that their right to practice their faith freely is protected.
CAIR-Florida encourages anyone with information about the USF incident to contact USFPD at (813) 974-2628, and anyone with information about the Hollywood incident to contact the Hollywood Police Department or the FBI.
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:
Wilfredo A. Ruiz, CAIR-Florida Communications Director, (305) 502-6749, wruiz@cair.com ;
Megan Amer, CAIR-Florida Policy Director, (813) 440-1028, m-amer@cair.com ;
Hiba Rahim, CAIR-Florida Deputy Executive Director, (813) 705-5440, hrahim@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-and-cair-florida-welcome-arrests-in-usf-islamophobic-incident-urges-swift-arrest-of-third-suspect-and-demands-progress-in-hollywood-hate-crime-case/
