(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - On Friday,10 June 2011, the Houston chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Texas (CAIR-Houston) held a news conference to launch a billboard campaign designed to help challenge growing anti-Muslim sentiment in American society. The launch of the CAIR-Houston "Peace and Unity" campaign will take place under a billboard depicting diverse representatives of the state's Muslim community, with the headline "Proud Americans, Proud Texans, Proud Muslims." Other billboards in the CAIR-Houston campaign will stress interfaith understanding.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has urged the United States to repudiate growing Islam phobia in the American society, following an attack on a Muslim man in Florida. "Elected officials in Florida and nationwide must begin to address the rising level of Islam phobia in Our society that can lead to violent incidents or acts of discrimination targeting ordinary Muslims," The Nation quoted Ramzy Kiliç, CAIR's Communications Director in Tampa, as saying in a statement.
In an exclusive statement for islamonle.net CAIR-Houston, executive director, Mustafa Carroll said “The objective of this campaign is to counter the growing incidents of islamophbia in Texas and since we announced this campaign we have received a lot of positive reactions all over the world including people from other religions”
"This pro-active campaign is designed to promote mutual understanding and to highlight the contributions of American Muslims to our society," said CAIR-Houston Executive Director Mustafa Carroll. “We have noted that there have been a number of recent bias incidents targeting Muslims in Texas and around the nation” added Carroll.
The launch of the CAIR-Houston "Peace and Unity" campaign will take place under a billboard depicting diverse representatives of the state's Muslim community, with the headline "Proud Americans, Proud Texans, Proud Muslims." Other billboards in the CAIR-Houston campaign will stress interfaith understanding.
In the press conference held on Friday 10 June, Mustafa Carroll, executive director of CAIR (Houston) summarized the objectives of the campaign as following:
• It is a response to increased anti-Muslim sentiment or Islamophobia resulting in an increase in civil rights complaints from Muslims, increased hate speech and anti-Muslim rhetoric that is fueling a higher potential for violence that recently included two local Mosques targeted by arsonists in the Greater Houston area
• The campaign is intended to encourage unity, to decrease polarity, and to highlight the contributions of American Muslims as productive, patriotic, “normal” citizens who make enormous contributions to our society. American Muslims embrace diversity, and have been an integral part of American Society for well over 200 years.
Featured in one of the billboards is a doctor, army service member, social worker, civil rights worker, and former Houston City Council member. Another billboard highlights the features a Christian Minister, a Muslim Imam (religious leader), and Jewish Rabbi that illustrates the interfaith relationships we must continue to build as a community.
• Lastly, we need to change the vitriolic narrative of HATE AND INTOLERANCE that has become prevalent in discourse regarding Islam and Muslims in America. Working with people of all faiths, our coalition partners, and other Muslim organizations the Council on American Islamic Relations aims to help dispel stereotypes and misinformation in order to humanize American Muslims, to decrease Islamophobia, and stop the targeting of Muslims in hate related incidents that has steadily increased in the United States after the tragedy of 9/11. It is our sincere hope that this initiative will encourage more peace and increased unity among all Americans.
CAIR had also recently called for hate crime probes of incidents such as vandalism at a Missouri mosque, said Kiliç, adding that CAIR's San Antonio chapter was challenging the refusal of a private school association in Texas to admit an Islamic school. A number of states are currently seeking to enact legislation that would stigmatize Islam and marginalize American Muslims, the report said.
Islam phobia refers to unfounded fear of and hostility towards Islam, which led to discriminations against Muslims, exclusion of Muslims from mainstream political or social process, stereotyping, the presumption of guilt by association, and finally hate crimes.
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