April 10, 2018

Dear Community Members and Friends,

In light of the alarming anonymous letters sent to mosques in the UK declaring April 3, ” Punish a Muslim Day”, we are urging the Muslim community to increase security measures.

We have received concerned inquiries from American Muslims who have heard of the UK threats and wonder if their families or their community will be similarly targeted.

While the ‘Punish a Muslim Day’ threat seems to target British Muslims exclusively, it would only be prudent to increase security at Islamic institutions and in public spaces, and to remain vigilant about any potential bias-motivated actions.

We are urging Muslim community leaders to obtain and use free copies of the CAIR booklet, Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety. The booklet may be viewed HERE.

Community members are also being urged to report any bias incidents to the police and to CAIR-SFBA’s Legal Services Department at 408.986.9874 or by filing a report HERE.

CAIR launched an app to share critical “Know Your Rights” information and to simplify the process to report hate crimes and bias incidents. We urge American Muslims and members of other targeted groups to download the app and utilize this resource to stay informed and empowered. To download CAIR’s civil rights app, click HERE.

Sincerely,

Ammad Rafiqi, Esq.

Civil Rights & Legal Services Coordinator