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CAIR-Kansas Calls for Firing of Wichita Police Officers Over Racist, Violent Messages
CAIR-Kansas Calls for Firing of Wichita Police Officers Over Racist, Violent Messages
Muslim civil rights group says department must commit to ‘concrete action and change’
(KANSAS CITY, 3/21/2022) – The Kansas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Kansas) today called for the dismissal of several Wichita police officers who reportedly sent racist, violent messages mocking George Floyd and glorifying police shootings.
The messages were allegedly sent between a small group of Wichita-area law enforcement officers in a private chat. One message sent by a Wichita police officer included an image mocking the killing of George Floyd. Another message sent by a Sedgwick Co. sheriff’s deputy included an image of Elmer Fudd with a caption that read “be very very quiet I’m hunting (racial slur).” A message from another deputy praised SWAT team members who “permanently deescalated people who needed permanent de-escalation.”
The officer who sent the message mocking George Floyd, the deputy who sent the message about de-escalation, and several officers and deputies who responded positively to that message have been involved in shootings or killings of civilians.
Three sheriff’s deputies who sent racist messages have been fired. The Wichita officer who sent the Floyd image was disciplined under a bad judgment policy but remains on the force. The officers who responded positively to the de-escalation message were given mentoring and coaching, and one resigned of his own volition.
SEE: Leaked messages: Wichita-area officers sent racist memes, talked about shooting people
https://www.kansas.com/news/local/article259423154.html
In a statement, CAIR-Kansas Board Chair Moussa Elbayoumy said:
“The messages reportedly sent by these Wichita officers are appalling and completely beyond the pale of acceptability for people tasked with protecting and serving diverse communities. The fact that some of these individuals were allegedly involved in shootings and killings of citizens makes this case all the more alarming.
“These officers must be dismissed and an investigation into their past conduct, including their involvement in shootings, must be launched. It’s time for the department to commit to concrete action and change.”
He said the American Muslim community and CAIR stand in solidarity with all those challenging anti-Asian and anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
SEE: CAIR Urges Alabama Senate to Reject Bill Banning Anti-Racism Teaching
CAIR-Massachusetts Welcomes Passage of Bill Banning Hairstyle Discrimination
CAIR Calls for Dismissal of U. Montana Professor Over Anti-Muslim, Racist Comments
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Kansas Board Chair Moussa Elbayoumy, 785-318-6323, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
CAIR-Kansas Welcomes Guilty Plea in Racist Knife Threat to Black Minor
CAIR-Kansas Welcomes Guilty Plea in Racist Knife Threat to Black Minor
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(WASHINGTON D.C., 2/14/2022) – The Kansas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Kansas), today welcomed a guilty plea by a man who threatened a Black minor with a knife for being in a “white town.”
Colton Donner, is facing up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 after pleading guilty to federal hate crime charges. The charges are in relation to an incident that occurred in Paola, Kan. in 2019, in which Donner threatened a Black minor with a knife and called him racial slurs. He told the minor that Paola was a “white town.”
SEE: KS man pleads guilty to hate crime after threatening Black minor with knife
https://news.yahoo.com/ks-man-pleads-guilty-hate-184112492.html
“We welcome the guilty plea in this disturbing case as evidence that our justice can work for those who have been targeted by racial hatred and bigotry,” said CAIR-Kansas Board Chair Moussa Elbayoumy. “As violent racism continues to rise nationwide, we urge law enforcement authorities to take all bias-motivated crimes seriously and for prosecutors to bring charges that acknowledge the seriousness of hate crimes.”
Elbayoumy said the American Muslim community and CAIR stand in solidarity with all those challenging anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, antisemitism, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
SEE: CAIR Condemns Racist ‘Zoombombing’ Targeting Black Maryland County Official
CAIR Calls on DOJ to Launch ‘Independent and Transparent’ Probe of Alaska Police-Shooting of Somali Muslim
CAIR Joins Call for Hate Crime Probe of Attempted Shooting of Black Man in Mississippi, Welcomes Hate Crime Conviction for Threats Targeting Black Woman in Delaware
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Kansas Board Chair Moussa Elbayoumy, 785-318-6323,CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
CAIR-Kansas Calls on Governor Kelly to Issue Executive Order Allowing City’s to Remove Racist Language From Property Documents
CAIR-Kansas Calls on Governor Laura Kelly to Issue an Executive Order Allowing City’s to Remove Racist Language From Property Documents
(KANSAS CITY, KS, 12/29/2021) – The Kansas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Kansas) today called on Governor Laura Kelly to issue an executive order allowing the Roeland Park, Kan., and other cities throughout the state to remove racist, discriminatory language from property documents.
SEE: Roeland Park considers removing racist language from property records
In a statement, CAIR-Kansas Board Chairman Moussa Elbayoumy said:
SEE: CAIR Supports Wyoming Bill to Remove Racist Housing Covenants
CONTACT: CAIR-Kansas Board Chair Moussa Elbayoumy, 785-318-6323,CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;
CAIR-Kansas Condemns Racist Poster at Kansas City Area School, Urges Full Review of School District Environment, Policies and Staff Training
(KANSAS CITY, 9/27/2021) – The Kansas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Kansas) today condemned a racist poster at a Kansas City area high school and urged the school district to conduct a full review of its environment, policies and staff training to prevent such incidents from occurring.
Over the weekend, photos emerged on social media of two students holding a sign apparently asking for a date to the Olathe South High School homecoming. The sign reads “If I was Black I’d be picking cotton but I’m white so I’m picking you for HOCO?” A spokesperson for Olathe Public Schools issued a statement saying the district is investigating the incident and working to contact all parties involved.
SEE: Olathe School District investigating after photo surfaces of racist homecoming proposal
“This is not the first time an incident like this has occurred at Olathe Public Schools, and it is time for the district to take more serious measures to challenge racism in schools,” said CAIR-Kansas Board Chair Moussa Elbayoumy. “We condemn this incident and urge Olathe Public Schools to conduct a full review of its environment, policies, and staff training to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.”
Elbayoumy said the American Muslim community and CAIR stand in solidarity with all those challenging anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
SEE: CAIR-Colorado Condemns Racist Flyers Targeting Longmont Businesses
CAIR Calls for Updated North Dakota Hate Crime Law After Racist Assault on 11-Year-Old African-American Female
CAIR Calls on 22 House Democrats Who Voted Against De-Militarizing Police to ‘Stop Siding with Police Unions Over Minority Constituents’
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Kansas Board Chair Moussa Elbayoumy, 785-318-6323, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
CAIR-KANSAS UPDATE: Chipotle Announces Firing of Employee Who Allegedly Harassed, Assaulted Muslim Employee
(KANSAS CITY, 8/28/2021) – The Kansas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Kansas) today said that Chipotle has fired an assistant manager at its Lenexa, Kan., location who reportedly subjected a female Muslim employee to harassment and assault by repeatedly demanding to “see her hair” and allegedly forcibly pulling her hijab (religious head-cover).
In a statement emailed to CAIR, Chipotle Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Laurie Schalow wrote:
“We have a zero tolerance policy for discrimination of any kind and last week we terminated the employee in question following a thorough investigation. Chipotle’s engaged and hard-working employees are what makes us great, and we encourage our employees to contact us immediately, including through an anonymous 800 number, with any concerns so we can investigate and respond quickly to make things right.”
“We welcome the announcement of terminating the offending assistant manager by Chipotle, however we expect more cultural sensitivity training and tighter oversight of performance and implementation of policies to ensure that no other employee is subjected to this level of harassment and abuse,” said Moussa Elbayoumy, CAIR-Kansas Board Chair.
On Friday, CAIR-Kansas announced the filing of an U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on behalf of the Muslim Female employee.
SEE: CAIR-Kansas Announces EEOC Complaint Over Harassment, Assault on Muslim Chipotle Employee
Earlier this month, CAIR-Kansas called for the assistant manager to be fired.
SEE: CAIR-Kansas Calls on Chipotle to Fire Manager Who Harassed, Assaulted Female Muslim Employee
Video: CAIR-Kansas Calls on Chipotle to Fire Manager Who Harassed, Assaulted Female Muslim Employee
BACKGROUND:
Since July 2021, the Muslim employee allegedly experienced repeated harassment by an Assistant Manager asking to “see her hair” to which she responded that she wears the hijab for religious reasons and would not remove it. The assistant manager would allegedly repeat that same request while the employee continued working.
On Aug. 9, the employee was reportedly again approached by the assistant manager asking again to see her hair, to which she responded “no” and returned to her work. The assistant manager then allegedly proceeded to forcibly pull the employee’s hijab off. Both the employee’s cousin, who works the same shift and faced the same harassment from the assistant manager, and the shift supervisor witnessed the incident.
CAIR has reported an unprecedented spike in bigotry targeting American Muslims, immigrants and members of other minority groups since the election of Donald Trump as president.
The Washington-based civil rights organization offers a booklet, called “An Employer’s Guide to Islamic Religious Practices,” to help employers gain a better understanding of Islam and Muslims in the workplace.
CAIR: An Employer’s Guide to Islamic Religious Practices
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Kansas Board Chair Moussa Elbayoumy, 785-318-6323, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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