Annisa Essack | kzn@radioislam.org.za
17 May 2023 | 18:00 CAT
3 min read

Photo Credit: WORDCRAFTBYANNISA

Ebrahim Hooper, National Communications Director and spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, joined Junaid Kharsany to discuss events in the Muslim community in the US.

The Houston chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations announced the election of Rawan Harirah as its new board chair and president of the board of directors of CAIR-Houston. She is the first woman to hold this position. 

Her introduction to CAIR came after she filed a discrimination case against Schlitterbahn Water Park in Galveston for denying her access to all water slides due to her hijab. She later interned for CAIR-Houston before joining the board of directors in 2017 and serving as the Secretary before being elected board chair. 

CAIR Minnesota plans to hold a news conference at the site of a St. Paul’s Mosque – Tawhid Islamic Centre of Minnesota – heavily damaged in a blaze this morning. On Sunday, the Minnesota chapter called on authorities to investigate a possible bias motive for vandalism targeting another St. Paul mosque. This is the sixth incident targeting Minnesota mosques in 2023.

CAIR has invited community members to attend a panel discussion on the watch list to be hosted by CAIR at the ICNA-MAS Convention in Baltimore on May 28. The discussion will be focused on the federal government’s discriminatory so-called “terrorist watch list” and what American Muslims can do if they are unjustly placed on the list.

The Houston chapter announced the establishment of the John T. Floyd Legal Fellowship, a new legal Fellowship open to Law School students passionate about pursuing a career in civil rights work. It offers a unique opportunity for them to actively engage in advocacy and effect positive change in their communities. It provides selected participants hands-on experience in changing policies to serve the Muslim community and the larger society and gain access to crucial information within civil rights law.  

It was named in honour of former CAIR-Houston Board Chair John Floyd, a board-certified criminal defence attorney who selflessly volunteered thousands of hours on behalf of CAIR-Houston.

The Minnesota chapter, along with the Antiwar Committee and Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar Clark, was to host Chief Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, grandson of the late Nobel laureate Nelson Mandela to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the ethnic cleansing or Nakba – of the Palestinian people. However, the event was moved to the CAIR office due to restrictions placed at the last minute. According to Hooper, this shows the roadblocks always placed when raising Palestine issues.

Listen to the full interview with Junaid Kharsany on The Daily Round-Up here