CAIR-NJ Honors Three New Jersey Muslim Mayors at 13th Annual Banquet
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ – 2/18/2019) - On Saturday, February 16, the New Jersey Chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations honored three Muslim mayors from New Jersey before a crowd of over 350 people at it’s 13th annual banquet.
Prospect Park Mayor Mohamed T. Khairullah, and East Orange Mayor Ted R. Green each received a Community Service award, while Montgomery Township Mayor, Sadaf Jaffer, who became the first female Muslim mayor in the country this year, received a Breaking Barriers award.
Keynote speaker for the event, themed “Faith led, Justice Driven,” was Sheikh Yasir Qadhi, who inspired the guests with his passion for social justice.
CAIR National Executive Director, Nihad Awad reminded those in attendance of the importance of the work that CAIR does at the national and local level and laid out a plan for the future, with a focus on civic engagement.
CAIR-New Jersey received documents of recognition from Governor Phil Murphy, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman and Congressman Donald Payne Jr.
“The guests at this event reflected a resilient and diverse Muslim community that is willing to stand up for its rights and contribute to the betterment of all citizens,” said Jim Sues, Executive Director of CAIR-NJ. “Our guest speakers spoke to the current concerns of the Muslim community and inspired the audience to continue working hard to help restore unity in our nation.”
CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, 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-NJ Executive Director James Sues, 908-668-5900, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
CAIR-NJ Calls for Dismissal of Municipal Employees Who Shared Anti-Muslim, Racist Posts
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR-NJ Calls for Dismissal of Municipal Employees Who Shared Anti-Muslim, Racist Posts
(SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ, 2/8/2019) -- The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) today called for the dismissal of three Hamilton Township municipal employees who shared racist and Islamophobic posts to their Facebook accounts.
Robert DiPastina, who works for the township public works department, and his wife Colleen DiPastina, who works as a civilian Hamilton Police secretary, each shared a post depicting an image of a bearded man in a Muslim shullcap sitting on a toilet with the caption, “This is a Muslim. They don’t use toilet paper. They use their hand. This is Starbucks. They vow to hire 10,000 Muslims.”
Hamilton Township engineering aide Kenneth Enderle shared a graphic featuring happy face emojis as background to the statement, “I haven’t seen this many Democrats dressed in white since they created the KKK.” The reference was to the female Democrats who wore white clothing at President Donald Trump’s 2019 State of the Union address as a tribute to suffragists.
SEE: Hamilton Republicans share anti-Muslim, anti-suffragette Facebook posts
"The social media posts shared by these municipal employees are offensive and hateful," said CAIR-NJ Executive Director James Sues. "The bigoted views expressed by these municipal employees do a disservice to the welcoming and diverse community that New Jersey truly is and should not be tolerated by any government agency. This is just a painful reminder of the extreme divisiveness that characterizes the current political climate at the national level.”
CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, 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-NJ Executive Director James Sues, 908-668-5900, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
70+ Turn Out for First New Jersey ‘Muslim Day of Advocacy at the State House’ Hosted by CAIR-NJ, Coalition Partners
(SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J., 12/18/18) – More than 70 New Jersey Muslims took part in over 30 meetings yesterday with lawmakers and their staff during the first “Muslim Day of Advocacy at the State House” in Trenton, N.J.
The event was co-sponsored by the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) and the New Jersey Muslim Voters Project, a coalition of Muslim organizations from around the state focused on civic engagement.
PHOTOS OF EVENT: https://www.facebook.com/CAIRNewJersey/photos/pcb.2091522757572349/2091520660905892/
Advocacy day participants focused their lobbying efforts on issues such as legislation to prevent an attempt by this or any other administration from establishing a religious registry and maintaining a child’s religious upbringing when placing a child in adoption or foster care.
On the same day, the General Assembly passed a resolution, introduced by Assemblyman Giblin, that marked the event and commended its organizers.
“This event is about empowering our community, understanding the importance of showing up and urging New Jersey lawmakers to address the very serious issues of a child’s religious identity, and religious freedom,” said CAIR New Jersey Legislative Director Jay Rehman. “The enthusiasm for the event exhibited by both the community delegates and the lawmakers demonstrates the positive impact proactive civic engagement can have, especially on marginalized communities.”
Meetings with legislators focused on the following legislation:
- Bill A461 - This bill requires adoption agency, or court, to maintain a child’s religious upbringing when placing child in adoption or foster care.
- Bill A3077 - This bill prohibits disclosure of religious affiliation information by State or local government agencies to the federal government in an effort to prevent a possible religious registry.
- Bill S2546 – This Bill revises the “New Jersey Non-profit Security Grant Pilot Program” to extend the grant program to include a $50,000 grant for the purchase of target hardening equipment for at risk non-profit organizations.
- Bill A1014 - This bill amends the current “Law Against Discrimination” and makes it unlawful to discriminate against someone if they have been a victim of a crime. For example: You can’t be turned down for a job just because you took action against a former employer.
- Bill AJR135 - This bill designates the month of August of each year as Muslim Awareness and Appreciation Month in New Jersey
CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, 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 New Jersey Legislative Director Jay Rehman, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 908-668-5900
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