(MINNEAPOLIS, MN, 6/16/2016) – On Friday, June 17, the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) will hold its 10th Annual Ramadan Dinner at the Mounds View Community Center IN Mounds View, Minn

The keynote speaker for the banquet is Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, director of outreach at the Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church, Va., and former Muslim chaplain at Howard University. Johari was the first Muslim officially installed as a chaplain in higher education at that university. He is also the head of the National Association of Muslim Chaplains in Higher Education.

WHAT: CAIR-MN 10th Annual Ramadan Dinner

WHEN: Friday, June 17, 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Mounds View Community Center, 5394 Edgewood Drive, Mounds View, MN 55112

CONTACT: CAIR-MN Executive Director Jaylani Hussein, 612-406-0070

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

(HOUSTON, TEXAS, 6/16/16) - The Houston chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR- Houston) today welcomed a decision by City Council Member Mike Knox to terminate a member of his staff who tried to block a Muslim from a Republican Party post because of the staffer’s hostility to Islam.

At a meeting of the Harris County Republican Party last month, Trebor Gordon asked that the Muslim party member be removed from consideration as a precinct chair, “on the grounds that Islam does not have any basis or any foundation- it is in total opposite of our foundation.” During that meeting, Gordon also stated, "Islam and Christianity do not mix.”

Last week, representatives of CAIR-Houston, along with other Muslim and Interfaith activists and leaders, met with Council Member Knox and called for a full apology from Gordon, sensitivity training for Knox's staff and for a city council resolution denouncing Islamophobia and religious intolerance.

Knox agreed to those requests and called for a subsequent meeting to inform the group of his decision. It was during that meeting that Knox informed the group of his decision to terminate Gordon.

Presumptive GOP presidential nominee falsely claims American Muslims don’t assimilate, want to commit mass murder

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/15/16) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today demanded that presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump “stop the bigotry” after he falsely claimed on Fox News that assimilation of American Muslims is “pretty close” to nonexistent and that a “percentage” of American Muslims “want to do what this maniac did in Orlando.”

In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Trump said:

“Assimilation has been very hard. It's almost, I won't say nonexistent, but it gets to be pretty close. I'm talking about second and third generation. They come, they don't— for some reason there's no real assimilation.”

(CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA, June 12, 2016) - Muslims and non-Muslims across Iowa join their fellow Americans to condemn the murders of 50 and the wounding of 53+ innocent patrons of the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Iowa’s LBGTQ Community and Council on American Islamic Relations Iowa Chapter (CAIR-Iowa) angrily condemn the vicious actions of the shooter, and offer our condolences and prayers to the victims and their families.

Local LGBTQ Community Leaders are pledging to work beside members of various groups of Faith communities, and others of diverse backgrounds, to increase community awareness programs. These programs are to build bridges among communities in Iowa, to share and learn from differences, and increase respectful dialogue between diverse groups. Iowa's CAIR Chapter is reaching out to the LGBTQ community, to ensure that the horrific incident in Orlando, not be construed as a religious hate crime, or that the mass killing is an example of True Islam. A member of the LGBTQ community and local advocate, Anthony Brown states, "When I heard about the tragedy of last night, I was horrified. Horrified for my brothers and sisters that were senselessly murdered and horrified that people are going to incorrectly blame a religion for the intolerance of one person. If fundamental extremism is playing a part of this tragedy, I want us to come together and show that fundamental extremism, from any religion, or political party, should not be accepted in Cedar Rapids, in Iowa, or in our United States."