CAIR to Announce Lawsuit in D.C., N.J., Mass., Mich. Seeking End to Secret Government Watchlist

Suit with a dozen Muslim plaintiffs will mark the 20th anniversary (Sept. 16) of Terrorism Screening Dataset

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 9/15/2023) – On Monday, Sept. 18, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, plans to hold a news conference to announce the filing of a lawsuit with a dozen plaintiffs seeking an end to the government’s secret watchlist that almost exclusively targets Muslims for harassment and humiliation when they travel. CAIR’s lawsuit will mark the 20^th anniversary (Sept. 16) of the Terrorism Screening Dataset.

NOTE: Mayor Mohamed T. Khairullah of Prospect Park, N.J., is one of the plaintiffs. On May 1, Khairullah was barred from attending the White House’s annual Eid al-Fitr celebration.    

CAIR chapters in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Michigan will also hold news conferences announcing the lawsuit for plaintiffs in those states.

NJ DETAILS    

WHERE: CAIR-NJ Office, 570 Broad Street, Suite 703 Newark, NJ 07102

WHEN: Monday, September 18, at 12:30 p.m.

WHO: Mohamed T. Khairullah, Mayor of Prospect Park, NJ; Ayah Zaki, Civil Rights Attorney at CAIR-NJ.; Gadeir Abbas, Senior Litigation Attorney at CAIR LDF

LAWSUIT FILESTAMPED COPY: cair-nj.org/lawsuit

LIVESTREAM: cair-nj.org/CAIRNJPresser

CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Communications Manager Dina Sayedahmed, 908-668-5900 ext. 103, dsayedahmed@cair.com

DC DETAILS    

WHERE: CAIR National Office, 453 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20003

WHEN:  Monday, Sept. 18 at 11 a.m.

CONTACT: CAIR National Litigation Director Lena Masri, 202-642-4934, lmasri@cair.com; CAIR Staff Attorney Hannah Mullen, 202-742-6420, hmullen@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

BACKGROUNDER:    

In June, CAIR released a report, titled “Twenty Years Too Many, A Call to Stop the FBI’s Secret Watchlist,” which details the federal government’s use of the Terrorism Screening Dataset to target Muslims, and called President Biden to take action to address the watchlist.

CAIR’s report found that the overwhelming majority, estimated to be around 98 percent, of names on the watchlist are Muslim names. More than 350,000 entries alone in the portion of the watchlist acquired by CAIR include some transliteration of Mohamed or Ali or Mahmoud, and the top 50 most frequently occurring names are all Muslim names.

An individual’s watchlist status is used by government agencies to harass and humiliate people when they travel, to outright forbid people from flying, to deny individuals licenses and permits, to refuse to hire people or fire people already employed, to delay or deny visas and applications for U.S. citizenship or a U.S. passport, and to subject the innocent people on the list to dangerous and invasive law enforcement actions.

READ THE FULL REPORT 

WATCH CAIR’S NEWS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCING THE REPORT

The watchlist is Islamophobic. An expert statistical analysis of leaked portions of the 2019 watchlist estimates that at least 98.3% of the names on the watchlist are identifiably Muslim. That doesn’t happen by accident. The federal government admits that they consider individuals’ race, religion, ethnicity, and national origin in deciding who to place on the watchlist. The government intentionally targets Muslims for inclusion on the list and considers individuals from Muslim-majority countries, travel to Muslim-majority countries, attending mosques, zakat donations to Muslim charities, the wearing of typical Muslim dress, the frequency of Muslim prayer, adherence to Islamic religious practices, Islamic religious study, the transfer of money to individuals residing in Muslim-majority countries, affiliations with Muslim organizations, and associations with Muslims in the United States or abroad to be suspicious.    

The government places individuals on the watchlist without investigating, indicting, or convicting them of any crime. The government admits that it places people on the watchlist even when they are not being investigated or prosecuted for any terrorism-related crime. In practice, that means that innocent Americans—who could not be charged or convicted of any crime in court—are nonetheless targeted for harm and stigmatization by the federal government.    

The government places individuals on the watchlist without any warning or explanation. When someone is placed on the watchlist, they receive no notice from the government. They have no idea why the government considers them worthy of permanent suspicion, have no opportunity to dispute the government’s decision, and no way to confront and counter the supposedly derogatory information on which their placement is based. Instead, one day, out of the blue, based on the way that they’re being harmed and mistreated by federal government agents or other entities, they realize that they’ve been branded as a “known or suspected terrorist.”    

Watchlist placement turns innocent Americans’ lives upside-down. When someone is placed on the watchlist, almost every aspect of their life can be affected. The federal government sends the watchlist to federal agencies, over 18,000 state and local law enforcement agencies, over 500 private entities, and dozens of foreign countries, all of which then take actions to harm and stigmatize listed individuals.

As a result of being watchlisted, innocent Americans are publicly humiliated, surveilled, and harassed when they travel; prevented from attending weddings, funerals, graduations, and other milestone events; separated from their children; denied jobs, security clearances, U.S. citizenship, visas, gun licenses, and other government benefits; and even effectively exiled from the United States.

Watchlist placement extrajudicially sentences innocent Americans to permanent second-class citizenship. CAIR’s lawsuit reveals for the first time that, even on the rare occasion that the government removes an individual from the watchlist, an individual’s past watchlist will continue to haunt them. Federal agencies retain records of past watchlist status and use them to deny formerly-listed individuals access to government buildings, security clearances, federal employment, and other licenses and government benefits.

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

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CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Communications Manager Dina Sayedahmed, dsayedahmed@cair.com, 908-668-5900 ext. 103

CAIR, CAIR-NJ Welcome New Jersey School Board’s Reversal of Motion to Remove Professor Sahar Aziz

(Washington, DC, 9/13/2023) – The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the Westfield, NJ school board’s unanimous vote to reverse an earlier decision to consider removing Professor Sahar Aziz from the board.

This action targeting the Westfield Board of Education’s first and only Muslim member raised concerns that CAIR-NJ expressed to the board members in a letter on September 8. In the letter, CAIR-NJ pointed to the absence of a “just cause,” writing, “We also ask for clarification on what constitutes a ‘just cause’ that precedes a removal hearing. Furthermore, we ask if other board members who’ve missed special meetings scheduled just days in advance or consecutive meetings were also subject to a removal hearing or equally warned.”

On Monday, September 11, the board voted 7-0 vote to rescind its earlier action targeting Professor Aziz. The public agenda for Monday’s meeting listed only “board action item” as its sole purpose, leaving its purpose unclear which in part prompted CAIR’s letter.

SEE: Westfield Rescinds Decision to Remove School Board Member

In a statement, CAIR Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor said:

“The unanimous vote indicates the full board understood the implications of targeting Professor Aziz. 

“Regardless, we will continue to monitor the Westfield School Board to ensure this illegitimate effort to remove Professor Aziz does not manifest in a new form in the coming months.”

In a statement, CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut said: 

“Board Member Aziz comes with a unique and valued perspective, and we are eager to see her continue in her role at the Westfield Board of Education. 

“We are optimistic that board members will work together to ensure an inclusive and welcoming environment, demonstrating Board Member Aziz’s commitment to Westfield and the Board’s desire for her contributions.”

Saylor and Maksut both thanked the Muslim community local to Westfield and concerned citizens who attended Monday’s hearing.

SEE: Special Westfield, NJ Board of Education Meeting 9/11/23. School Board Member Sahar Aziz’s Remarks

(Note: The version posted by the school board’s version removes portions of Aziz’s remarks.).

SEE: Professor Sahar Aziz’s Full Written Remarks for Hearing

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

END 

CONTACT: CAIR Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor, csaylor@cair.com, 202-384-8857; CAIR-NJ Communications Manager Dina Sayedahmed, dsayedahmed@cair.com, 908-668-5900 ext. 103

MEDIA ADVISORY

CAIR-NJ to Attend Highland Park Police Sergeant’s Termination Hearing, Sergeant Alleges Ethnic and Religious Discrimination

(NEWARK, NJ, 9/6/2023) — On Friday, September 8 at 10 a.m.,  the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, will attend the termination hearing of Highland Park’s Sergeant Mohab Hannout.

The sergeant, who is allegedly facing ethnic and religious harassment and discrimination within the police department according to court documents, was suspended without pay more than one year ago.

The Highland Park Police Department has fostered a “culture of explicit and implicit bias against Black and brown officers by creating a two-tiered disciplinary system: one for whites and one for ‘others,’” court documents read.

WHEN: Friday, September 8, 2023, at 10 a.m.    

WHERE: Highland Park Municipal Building, 221 S. 5th Ave, Highland Park, NJ 08904 

CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Communications Manager Dina Sayedahmed, dsayedahmed@cair.com, 908-668-5900 ext. 103, 908-534-8407          

Court documents detail incidents of alleged discrimination, harassment, and bullying that Hannout has endured during his 17-year tenure at the Highland Park Police Department. In one instance, Hannout’s ethnic background was allegedly evoked by a high-ranking official while responding to a call. The same official would allegedly call Hannout a “terrorist.”    

Separately, another high-ranking official allegedly asked if Hannout’s ethnic group was “stupid” in response to another call.   

In a statement, CAIR-NJ Communications Manager Dina Sayedahmed said:   

“We are deeply disturbed by the allegations that Sergeant Mohab has made against the Highland Park Police Department, but his case seems to be just the tip of the iceberg.    

“The police department is overwhelmingly white, despite at least 38 percent of the borough population being non-white. Over the last three years, five Black officers have left the department. This is alarming.   

“The Borough has taken positive steps toward eliminating racism within its jurisdiction, but there still seems to be a long way to go within the police department especially.   

“We are optimistic that Mayor Elsie Foster will investigate Hannout’s credible claims in good faith and work to ensure that the apparent explicit and implicit biases within the Highland Park Police Department do not go unchecked.”    

Hannout has previously filed suit against the Highland Park Police Department for discrimination. The department settled in 2017.  

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.                 

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CONTACT:  CAIR-NJ Communications Manager Dina Sayedahmed, dsayedahmed@cair.com, 908-668-5900 ext. 103, 908-534-8407 

CAIR-NJ Offers Condolences on Passing of New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Y. Oliver, the First Black Woman to be Speaker of the General Assembly    

(NEWARK, NJ, 08/01/2023) — The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) today offered condolences on the passing of New Jersey Lieutenant Governor, Sheila Y. Oliver.   

Oliver died at age 71 after she was hospitalized this week for an undisclosed medical issue, her family and the Murphy administration announced on Tuesday.   

SEE: Statement from Gov. Murphy on the Passing of Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver    

Oliver served as the state’s lieutenant governor since 2018. She concurrently served as the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, where she led efforts to strengthen and expand initiatives for fair and affordable housing, community revitalization, homelessness prevention, and local government services that support New Jersey’s 565 municipalities.     

In 2010, she became the first Black woman in state history to serve as Assembly Speaker, and just the second in the nation’s history to lead a state legislative house.    

In 2021, Oliver was reelected to serve a second term in office as Lieutenant Governor.   

In a statement, CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut said:   

“I extend my deepest condolences to the Lieutenant Governor’s loved ones and to the Murphy administration. I wish them peace during their grieving period.”    

In a statement, CAIR-NJ Government Affairs Manager Madina P. Ouedraogo said:   

“I offer my sincere condolences to the late Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey Sheila Y. Oliver’s family, friends, and the entire Murphy Administration.    

“The Lieutenant Governor’s legacy and impact as the first Black woman to be Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly and the second Black woman to lead any state legislature will live on.”   

Senate President Nicholas P. Scutari (LD-22), a fellow Democrat, has assumed the duties of Acting Governor in Governor Murphy’s absence and in light of Oliver’s passing. No public events are currently on his schedule. 

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.      

END       

CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Communications Manager Dina Sayedahmed, dsayedahmed@cair.com, 551-221-5592 

CAIR-NJ Congratulates Dr. Jabeen Ahmed on Appointment as VP for NJ State Board of Pharmacy        

(SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ, 7/20/2023) — The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) today congratulated Dr. Jabeen Ahmed on her appointment to the New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy as vice president.   

Dr. Ahmed is likely the first Muslim to be appointed to such a position. She is also a board member of the Paterson Coalition Against Substance Abuse and Commissioner of the Passaic County Board of Social Services. 

Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh previously honored Dr. Jabeen Ahmed with the Key to the City for her efforts during the COVID pandemic. The City of Paterson said that Dr. Ahmed was instrumental in Paterson achieving the highest vaccination rates in the state through her work at Sheefa Pharmacy.   

SEE: Paterson doctor honored with Key to the City for efforts in the community during COVID-19 pandemic   

In a statement, CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut said:  

“Dr. Jabeen Ahmed has played a pivotal role in uplifting the Muslim community in New Jersey and the Paterson and Passaic communities at large through her pharmaceutical work.   

“We’re exceptionally proud of her and we’re excited to see her accomplish more and reach more professional and personal milestones.    

“In her new role at the New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy, Dr. Ahmed paves the way for Muslims — and Muslim women especially — to continue excelling and serving their respective communities.”   

In a statement, New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy Vice President Dr. Jabeen Ahmed said:  

“I am humbled to have the confidence and support of my colleagues and board members to serve as the Vice President for the New Jersey Board of Pharmacy.     

“As a woman, and the first Muslim to serve in this role, there is an added responsibility — a responsibility to encourage diversity, provide insight into the challenges of minorities and those living in inner cities, and, most importantly, a responsibility to continue carrying my faith-based values in this new capacity.     

“I did not seek this endeavor, but I hope it encourages more women, especially Muslim women, to seek positions where we can protect and serve the public effectively. I look forward to being a student and a guide on issues of focus, such as women’s health and substance use disorders.”   

The State Board of Pharmacy, which falls under the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, works to protect the health, safety, and welfare of New Jersey residents. The Board also regulates pharmaceutical practices, reviews regulations and legislation that govern the practice of pharmacy, and issues (or withdraws) practicing licenses. 

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.       

END       

CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Communications Manager Dina Sayedahmed, dsayedahmed@cair.com, 551-221-5592  

CAIR-NJ Calls on New Jersey Members of Congress to Boycott Israeli Pres. Herzog’s Address to Congress     

(SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ, 07/18/2023) – The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) today joined in the call for members of Congress to boycott Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, July 19, on the grounds of Israel’s glaring human rights law violations.   

SEE: Boycott Israeli Pres. Isaac Herzog’s Address to Congress     

Israeli settlers stormed the West Bank village of Turmusayya and set fire to homes and cars, where Afif Alasmar, a Clifton business owner, was visiting family. He and his family tried to reach the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem for four hours.        

SEE: NJ residents say US turned its back on them when they were attacked on vacation          

Israeli settlers’ attacks in Turmusayya coincided with Israel’s deadly large-scale raid on Jenin, a Palestinian city home to one of the largest refugee camps in the Occupied West Bank. Israeli settlers killed at least seven Palestinians and injured at least two dozen others. The raid on Jenin began in the midst of Eid ul-Adha, one of two major Islamic holidays.         

SEE: Israel stages a deadly large-scale raid on Palestinian Jenin camp in the West Bank         

Videos also show the Israeli military ploughing through roads in Jenin and targeting journalists, in violation of international human rights law.          

SEE: Israeli bulldozer destroys Jenin street during raid     

SEE: Palestine: Journalists targeted by Israeli forces during raid in Jenin         

CAIR-NJ also directly wrote to New Jersey representatives and Senators urging them to stand by their constituency and boycott President Herzog’s address.

SEE: Progressives plan boycott of Israeli president’s speech to Congress  

SEE: CAIR Applauds Lawmakers Boycotting Speech by Israeli President Due to Country’s ‘Systematic and Escalating’ Human Rights Abuses     

[NOTE: In June, CAIR-NJ welcomed Rep. Watson Coleman’s principled boycott of Prime Minister Modi’s address to Congress]   

In a statement, CAIR-NJ Government Affairs Manager Madina P. Ouedraogo, said:          

“The Israeli government has been found, by many respected groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, to be guilty of grave human rights and international law violations. Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s address comes on heels of Israeli settlers’ attacks in Turmusayya and Israel’s deadly large-scale raid on Jenin, a Palestinian city home to one of the largest refugee camps in the Occupied West Bank. 

“Inviting Israeli President Herzog to address a joint session of Congress at a time when the far-right, racist government he represents just set a record for illegal settlement approvals — and during the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank, no less — sends the message that the U.S. government condones war crimes and human rights violations.   

“We urge all New Jersey members of Congress to boycott Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s address and to call on the Israeli government to end its illegal occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people, including Palestinian-Americans who are New Jersey residents.” 

Earlier this month CAIR-NJ called on New Jersey Gov. Murphy to ensure protections for Palestinian Americans under attack by Israeli settlers. 

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.       

END         

CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Communications Manager Dina Sayedahmed, dsayedahmed@cair.com, 551-221-5592

CAIR-NJ Welcomes Rep. Watson Coleman’s Principled Boycott of Prime Minister Modi’s Address to Congress      

(SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ, 6/26/2023) — The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman’s (D-NJ) principled boycott of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to Congress.

In a statement, Rep. Watson Coleman wrote: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has repressed religious minorities, emboldened Hindu nationalist groups, and coincided with democratic backsliding including silencing dissenting voices and independent journalists. I will not be attending PM Modi’s address tomorrow.”

SEE: “I will not be attending PM Modi’s address”

The Congresswoman’s statement comes just days after CAIR-NJ and other CAIR chapters across the U.S. spent two days on Capitol Hill meeting with state representatives and drawing their attention to issues that impact American Muslims, such as the illegal watchlist and the rising tide of Hindutva movements in India and the U.S.

In a statement, CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut, said:

“Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman stood on the right side of history when she declined to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to Congress.

“India’s human rights record has drastically worsened under Modi’s leadership. Muslim homes and places of worship are regularly bulldozed. Christians’ and other religious minorities are also targeted with hatred and discrimination. In some states, Muslim women who wear hijab are barred from public education.  

“And what’s particularly worrying is that the Hindutva movement is gradually making its way transnationally. We’ve documented several anti-Muslim incidents right here in New Jersey that were inspired by the Hindutva movement in India. It’s imperative that New Jersey lawmakers make clear where they stand, and that they amplify our calls to the Biden administration that Prime Minister Modi is not welcome in the U.S.”

CAIR welcomed pledges by members of Congress to boycott the Joint Meeting of Congress honoring India’s far-right, anti-Muslim Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In total, eight members of Congress announced a boycott of Modi’s speech:

• Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY)
• Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO)
• Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA)
• Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-MD)
• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortex (D-NY)
• Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN)
• Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI)
• Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ)

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

END

CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Communications Manager Dina Sayedahmed, dsayedahmed@cair.com, 551-221-5592