(LOS ANGELES, CA – 4/17/2023) – The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today announced the release of the latest civil rights report conducted by the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR).
The 2023 Civil Rights Report titled “Progress in the Shadow of Prejudice” documents a 23% decrease in total complaints received by CAIR nationwide, from 6,720 complaints in 2021 to 5,156 complaints in 2022. While complaints about law enforcement and government overreach decreased by 38%, complaints about school incidents increased by 63%.
The report highlights case studies of the effects of Islamophobia on the lived experiences of American Muslims as well as CAIR’s efforts to secure justice for them. It also presents special sections on CAIR’s legal work helping Muslim plaintiffs pursue religious discrimination claims following FBI surveillance and upholding free speech protections for supporters of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement.
In a statement, CAIR-LA Managing Attorney Amr Shabaik said:
“While it is heartening to discover that there has been an overall decrease in complaints, our local office continues to experience first-hand the increase in bullying and Islamophobia in schools. The report highlights one such case in which CAIR-LA intervened on behalf of a high school student whose reasonable religious accommodation requests were being dismissed by her P.E. teacher, resulting in bullying from other students and negatively impacting her grade.
“We also continue to see the long-lasting effects of the FBI’s unconstitutional surveillance of the American Muslim community. The Muslim plaintiffs in FBI v. Fazaga first discovered that the FBI informant was spying on them more than 15 years ago, and, to this day, the fight continues to bring them justice.
“This report serves as a reminder of the urgent need to advocate, legislate, and litigate to secure progress against prejudice and expanded protections for all those confronted by bigotry.”
CAIR-CA conducts an annual bullying survey of Muslim students in California between the ages of 11–18 to address Islamophobia and bullying in schools and ensure that Muslim students have a safe place to learn.
CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-LA Digital Communications Manager Enjy El-Kadi, (714) 851-4851 or eelkadi@cair.com