CAIR-CA’s Post

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and its Greater Los Angeles Area office (CAIR-LA) filed a lawsuit against the federal government for placing one Palestinian American on the No Fly List and for seizing the electronic device of another while interrogating him about organizing against Israel’s genocide in Gaza. The lawsuit is among the first to challenge the FBI’s apparent decision to target innocent people who speak up in support of Palestine and criticize Israel’s devastating violence and illegal occupation of Palestine.  

CAIR-LA is hiring for positions across our teams, including legal, outreach, policy, & more! Join us in the fight for justice and help make a difference in our community. Visit bit.ly/cair-la-jobs to apply today.

CAIR-LA recently filed a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education against UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine for the discriminatory treatment of its client, a Muslim Palestinian-American medical student, during a pediatrics clerkship in the fall of 2023. The complaint alleged discrimination by the student’s superiors and clerkship co-chairs including derogatory and racist comments, discriminatory conduct, and an attempt to prohibit the student from performing his religious obligations. The complaint also alleged that after reporting the mistreatment, the student faced punitive and retaliatory measures, including deliberate negative evaluations and a failing grade in his pediatrics clerkship.  

CAIR-LA today submitted a California Public Records Act request to the City of Irvine for information regarding communications between two Irvine City Council members and organizations who have allegedly exhibited anti-Palestinian rhetoric and behaviors.

The Pomona College administration deployed some 30 police officers, including a dozen in full riot gear, in response to the sit-in. Nineteen students were arrested, jailed, and served an immediate suspension from the college. CAIR-LA calls on Pomona College to: - Immediately drop all charges against the students. - Revoke all suspensions. - Issue a public apology for the administration’s unnecessary escalation of violence and use of police intervention.

We just released our 2024 civil rights report, titled "Fatal: The Resurgence of Anti-Muslim Hate." The report documented the highest number of complaints we have ever received in our 30-year history. In 2023, we received a total of 8,061 complaints of anti-Muslim incidents. Immigration & asylum cases comprised 20% of the complaints. Employment discrimination (15%), education discrimination (8.5%), and hate crimes and incidents (7.5%) are among the highest reported categories.   Nearly half of all complaints we received in 2023 were reported in the final three months of the year, following the start of the Israeli assault on Gaza.   Our last report recorded a drop in the number of complaints received by our offices for the first time in our history. The numbers, however, have shot back up.   Our report notes that the 2023 wave of anti-Muslim incidents was a 56% jump over the previous year and surpassed even the period following the implementation of President Trump’s Muslim Ban, which saw a 32% jump over the previous year.   The report also shows a breakdown of the complaints we received by state.   Read the full report: bit.ly/caircivilrights2024

In a statement, CAIR-CA CEO Hussam Ayloush said: "CAIR-CA has advocated with state and federal elected officials to call for a ceasefire since the beginning of Israel's violent military offense five months ago, including with Governor Newsom's office. We are invigorated to see the Governor ultimately decide to take action and commend him for his commitment to peace and justice amid the heartbreaking violence that has tragically resulted in the death of over 30,000 Palestinians. "Governor Newsom's call for an immediate ceasefire embodies an undeniable truth—California will not shy away from standing for justice and human dignity. We hope this decision will stand as a beacon of compassion and moral leadership and compel other officials to do so as well." Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gqUKpGQr

Job alert! 📢 CAIR-LA is hiring a Staff Attorney to assist our Civil Rights department with the unprecedented increase in cases dealing with anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian bias. Join us in the fight for justice and help make a difference in our community. Visit bit.ly/cair-la-jobs to apply today.

Today, Nov. 29, marks the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People—a day designated by the U.N. to highlight the ongoing Palestinian struggle for freedom and justice under Israel’s system of apartheid and illegal occupation. Since Oct. 7, over 15,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed by Israel’s ongoing attacks in Gaza. The only way to permanently stop these cycles of violence is to implement a permanent ceasefire and end the Israeli government’s illegal occupation of Palestine. CAIR-SFBA stands with the people of Palestine as they continue to fight for their rights, dignity, and freedom.