‘Reclaiming Our Rights’ At CAIR-MI’s Annual Fundraising Banquet

The Council on American-Islamic Relations – Michigan (CAIR-MI) themed its 2009 annual fundraising banquet based upon one of the major challenges that American Muslims currently face, which is “Reclaiming Our Rights.”  During the Bush administration, civil liberties and human rights deteriorated at an alarming rate.  And unfortunately, Muslims have been the primary recipient of abuse due to this erosion.

In this current tide of rhetorical “change” that has swept across our country since the inauguration of President Barack Hussein Obama, CAIR’s focus is to improve relationships between our nation with Muslims starting with American Muslims, and this relationship can only improve when we reclaim our constitutional rights that have been abused.

This year’s banquet features an attorney, who has been at the forefront of the struggle to preserve civil and human rights.  Jameel Jaffer, National Litigator of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), has worked on several high profile lawsuits such as the suit against Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff for blocking the Swiss Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan from obtaining a visa to enter America to suing the Department of Defense for records regarding the treatment of detainees in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay.  Moreover, Jaffer worked on the NSA warrantless wiretapping trial in which CAIR-MI was the chief plantiff in suing the Bush administration for spying on American’s phone calls overseas without obtaining warrants from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court.

Advocacy organizations continue to be a watchdog in monitoring governmental abuses and serving as a shield to block persons from potentially becoming in targets of bias.  CAIR-MI is serving in this capacity as well as fulfilling its mandate to provide sensitivity trainings and educational seminars for non-Muslims and Muslims to serving as a reliable, accurate source for media about the Muslim community.  CAIR-MI needs your support at this year’s fundraiser to continue in serving the community and the nation.

The banquet is scheduled to take place at the Islamic Center of America, 19500 Ford Rd in Dearborn.  Donations may be given and tickets may be purchased at www.cairmichigan.org, and questions regarding sponsorships, advertisements and tickets may be answered at 248-559-2247.

As Salaam alaikum
(Al Hajj) Imam Abdullah El-Amin

11-11