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2009ANNUAL REPORT

CAIR-MN

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ABOUT CAIR-MNThe Council on American-Islamic Relaions (CAIR) is a nonpro 501(c)(3),grass roos civil righs and advocacy group. CAIR is Americas larges Islamiccivil liberies group, wih 35 regional oces naionwide and in Canada. Thenaional headquarers is locaed on Capiol Hill i n Washingon D.C.

The Minnesoa chaper o CAIR was revialized in 2007 o address hediscriminaion o he unique Muslim populaion here in he Midwes. Fromresricions placed on Muslims o pracice heir religion reely in he work-place o religious proling and discriminaion semming rom a lack o under-sanding o Islam, he need or CAIR in Minnesoa was grea.

CAIR-MN is he saes only Muslim civil righs organizaion, and he demandor is services has grown remendously. The civil righs case load grew rom

jus ve cases in 2007 o over 115 so ar his year.

Since is esablishmen in 1994, CAIR has worked o promoe a posiive imageo Islam and Muslims in America. Through media relaions, governmen rela-ions, educaion, and advocacy, CAIR pus orh an Islamic perspecive oensure he Muslim voice is represened. In oering his perspecive, CAIR

seeks o empower he American Muslim communiy and encourage heirparicipaion in he poliical process, media, and social acivism.

In shor, CAIR-MN srives o ensure ha Muslims have he same righs ha all

Americans have ough so hard o earn.

For more inormaion on CAIR-Minnesoa and o become a member, pleasevisi www.cairmn.com.

CAIR-MN

0809

TIMELINE

ofEVENTS

NOVEMBER 08 DECEMBER 08

82nd Annual

Banque

14Somali Communiy

Youh Forum

5Cusoms and BorderProecion Meeing

17U o M Police

Deparmen Training

25Gaza Peace

Demonsraion

january 09

2Gaza Rally/

Know Your RighsAbubakar Islamic

Cener

10Communiy Media

Training wihIbrahim Hooper

20Cusoms and BorderProecion Meeing

241s Annual Muslim

Womens Conerence

31-Feb. 1CAIR Naional

Council Meeing

HOW WE OPERATE

CAIR-MNs services are oered or ree o our cliens. Our Civil Righscasework includes legal consulaions and reerrals, cour represenaion, andrelaed adminisraive coss or sa and overhead. These and oher operaingcoss are covered by member donaions, grans, and small ees charged orraining sessions involving corporaions. Below is a breakdown o he way we

use hose unds. A copy o our ull 990 IRS reurn is available upon reques.

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february 09

6Know Your RighsSomali Communiy

25Abubakar Islamic

Cener Open House

20ACLU Coaliion

Meeing

MARCH 09

10Muslim Day a

he Capiol

231s Annual

Media Breakas

26Know Your Righs

Show on KFAI

27Know Your Righs

a U o M SomaliSuden Associaion

CAIR-MN

0809

TIMELINE

ofEVENTS

27Young MuslimProessionalsCoee Hour

31Building BlocksMedia Training

APRIL 09

4Parallel InjusiceAmerican Indian/

Gaza Even

4Know Your RigAbubakar Islam

Cener

OUTREACHOur oureach aciviies ie ogeher CAIR-MNs mission and vision. Frombringing communiy members o he able wih eleced ocials o educaing

Muslims hroughou MN on he services CAIR-MN providesand he righsAmericans havewere advancing our mission while nding ou wha issueseec everyday Minnesoa Muslims. We have reached many communiiesin 2009 and plan o increase our eors or 2010. Below are a ew o hisyears evens:

CAIR-MN Speaks on Muslim Conribuions a Mero Sae UniversiyRepresenaives rom CAIR-MN were invied o be on a panel o discuss heconribuions and engagemen o he Muslim communiy in Minnesoa.

CAIR-MN presened on civil righs and oher concerns eecing he MuslimCommuniy and shared our ongoing case work and oureach eors.

CAIR-MN hoss Civil Righs Neworking DinnerThis dinner and neworking opporuniy brough ogeher several civil righs

organizaions in Minneapolis, including NAACP-Sain Paul, OuFron MN,Minneapolis Civil Righs Commissioners, Ciizens Agains Police Brualiy, heConederaion o Somali Communiies in Minnesoa, Unied Somali Move-men, and ohers. The even inroduced leaders o CAIR-MNs work andeducaed hem on civil righs issues in he Muslim communiy, while creaing

parnerships or uure collaboraion.

CAIR-MN Hoss Leadership Brieng wih Muslim Communiy LeadersLocal Muslim leaders were invied o learn more abou CAIR-MNs work and

undersand heir righs and responsibiliies a he airpor, a work, and in deal-ing wih law enorcemen. The brieng ended wih a discussion wih Rep. Keih

Ellison (D-5h Disric) on new iniiaives in he Obama adminisraion. Over 60Muslim organizaions were represened.

CAIR-MN Organizes Young Muslim Proessionals Cofee HourAs par o is oureach o proessionals in he communiy, CAIR-MN organizedour second coee hour o reach ou o young Muslims. Aer coee and ne-working, CAIR-MN provided an updae on curren civil righs cases and shared

voluneer opporuniies.

CAIR-MN Mees wih Mall o America SecuriyCAIR-MN me wih mall securiy o discuss prayer space or Muslims who visihe mall on Eid day. CAIR-MN now mees quarerly wih mall securiy.

CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVITIESIncreasing he undersanding o Islam helps us ensure ha Muslims righs areupheld in he workplace, a he airpor, and oher public arenas. As you cansee rom our ime line above, weve go a ull schedule o rainings or peopleon boh sides o he able, making sure Muslims also undersand heir obliga-

ions and responsibiliies under he law. Here are jus a ew highlighs:

CAIR-MN Hos Firs Posiive Ineracions Employer Training25 mero area HR represenaives and managers atended a our-hour work-

shop raining employers on religious belies, cusoms and pracices, andobligaions o religiously accommodae employees under ederal, sae, andlocal laws. The session included Somali culural nuances and breakou sessionocusing on creaive resoluions o i ndusry confics.

CAIR-MN mees wih U.S. Atorney B. Todd JonesCAIR-MN represenaives me his summer wih U.S. Atorney B. Todd Jones.The discussion ocused on Muslim civil righs and oureach opporuniies wihhe Minnesoa Muslim communiy.

CAIR-MN Co-Organizes Muslim Day on he Hill a he Sae CapiolThe CAIR-MN Civil Righs Direcor spoke a he opening ceremonies encour-aging he atendees o become civically engaged. CAIR-MN also me wih RepGotwal (R-S. Cloud), who inroduced he headgear ban bill earlier his year,

o discuss he ederally-proeced righ o all individuals o wear religioushead coverings.CAIR-MN Mees wih U.S. Cusoms and Border ProecionCAIR-MN mees quarerly wih CBP as an eor o build ongoing relaionship

beween he Muslim communiy and dieren governmen and securiy agen-cies ha work in he Minneapolis-S. Paul Inernaional Airpor. The goal is oproacively aciliae communicaion, avoid culural misundersandings, esab-lish a direc roue or discriminaion complains, and discuss ways o educaeravelers on ways o ravel saely and ecienly.

CAIR-MN Presens Diversiy Training o Mayo ClinicTweny-ve managers and HR represenaives rom Mayo Clinic paricipaedin an on-sie diversiy raining. The raining addressed he basics o Islam and

Muslims, highlighing common pracices ha ake place a work. In addiion,i discussed he legal obligaions o boh employees and employers when icomes o religious accommodaion a he workplace.

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CIVIL RIGHTS CASES

We work hard o advocae on behal o communiy members experiencing

discriminaion and remedy cases o logical resoluions. Cases range romemploymen, public accommodaion and educaion discriminaion, o haecrimes and governmen religious/racial proling. Below are jus a ew o hecases weve aken on his year:

CAIR-MN Provides Know Your Righs Trainings and Atorney ReerralsWih he ongoing ederal invesigaion regarding he missing Somali men,CAIR-MN has elded and reerred calls rom communiy members visied byederal agens or subpoenaed or grand jury esimony. CAIR-MNs Know You

Righs presenaions have reached over 30,000 people his year.

CAIR-MN Resolves Workplace DispueAer CAIR-MNs Civil Righs Deparmen me wih Walmar execuives o dis

cuss he case o a Muslim man red or praying a work, he man was rehired.CAIR-MN Asks or Invesigaion ino School HarassmenIn a case o verbal and physical harassmen agains a Muslim suden, CAIR-MN and he S. Cloud school disric have begun working ogeher o nd

various ways o promoe undersanding and culural sensiiviy.CAIR-MN Asks Fireworks Reailer o Wihdraw Ofensive FireworksCAIR-MN conaced a reworks reailer in Wisconsin o express concernsover a produc called Run Hadji Run, which had a Sealh bomber fying over

a group o Arabs riding camels on is packaging. The company immediaelyremoved he produc rom is shelves.

??ALCU Coaliion

Meeing

april 09

20Muslim ConribuionsPresenaion - Mero

Sae Universiy

25Know Your Righs

Masjid Dawah

30Brian Coyle Cener

Resource Fair

may 09

28Hennepin CounySheris Meeingon Hijab in Jail

9Somali VoicesConvenion/

Duluh Oureach

18Know Your Righs

Show on KFAIwih MN FBI Direcor

CAIR-MN

0809

TIMELINE

ofEVENTS

23MAS Convenion/Womens Know

Your RighsMasjid Ihsan

28Oce o JusicePrograms Annual

Conerence

22Deparmen o

Homeland SecuriyRoundable

Numberofcases

5

70

122

2007 2008 2009

The number o cases handled by CAIR-MNhas risen signicanly over hree years o operaion.

47%

30%

6%

5%

12%

FBI/P

Emplo

Schoo

Immig

Other

The ypes o cases received in 2009 consis mo law enorcemen and employmen issu

OUR IMPACTOur raining sessions reach housands o Minnesoas Muslimsand no jus in

he Mero Areaweve esimaed ha CAIR-MN rainings have brough over5,000 people ogeher in 2009 alone. This year also marked he launch o oursuccessul Posiive Ineracions employer raining series, expanded by hereques o large employers like Macys and he Mayo Clinic. See how ar we

ravel o educae communiy members and employers below.

Duluh

Brainerd

S. Cloud

Owaonna

Rocheser

S. Paul

Minneapolis

1000 +

100-500

less than 100

KEY

Training atendance:

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MEDIA COVERAGECAIR-MN acively engages wih he media o ensure ha a air and accurae

porrayal o Islam and Muslims is presened o he American public hroughmedia appearances, press conerences, opinion ediorials and leters o he

edior. Moreover, CAIR-MNs sa moniors local media wih he aim o rein-orcing posiive represenaions o Muslims. In 2009, CAIR-MN was eauredor quoed in over 55 repors rom naional, l ocal and ehnic media oules.

Some 2009 Media Quoes:

Righs groups say Somalis being sopped, quesionedMinnesoa Public Radio, 02/13/09[CAIR-MN was conaced by a] man who was walking on he sree, and heFBI agen invied him ino his car . he was bombarded wih quesions. He

answered no o everyhing. He was jus so scared. Lori Saroya, Board Chair

FBI Reaching ou o Minneapolis Somali CommuniyVoice o America, 04/07/09

The challenge is: how do you build a relaionship wih a communiy whenyouve already sared inerrogaing in ways he communiy is already earulo. Taneeza Islam, Civil Righs Direcor

Group wans schools o provide Somalis legal suppor

KSTP, 04/09/09Sudens legal righs need o be upheld and hey aren currenly beingaorded he only rue legal proecion hey have when alking o he lawenorcemenan atorney. Taneeza Islam, Civil Righs Direcor

Rabbis commens abou Arabs widely rebukedMinnesoa Public Radio, 06/04/09This disurbing call o genocide and religious desecraion mus be repudiaed

by all Minnesoans who value peaceul coexisence and ineraih harmony.

Silence in he ace o such exremis views will only serve o give he auhor aalse sense o legiimacy and approval. Jessica Zikri, Communicaions Dir.

Muslim group urges reworks reailers o pull Ani-Arab produc...Pioneer Press, 07/03/09

I [racis reworks packaging] looks like somehing ha could have come ou50 or 60 years ago, bu no odayis jus a signal ha hese ani-Arab seni-mens are sill ou here. And we don hink hey should be or sale. JessicaZikri, Communicaions Direcor

MEDIA EVENTSEngaging he media in discussions abou working wih he Muslim commu-

niy helps o creae an environmen where air and balanced journalism can

hrive. Educaing Muslims on working wih he media empowers he Muslimcommuniy o asser heir righs and respond wih condence when me wihrequess or inerviews on issues imporan o hem. Below are a ew o he

2009 evens aimed a bridging he divide beween Minnesoa Muslims andhe media:

CAIR-MN Holds Firs Annual Media BreakasNearly every major news oule in Minnesoa was represened. Journaliss

were given inormaion on reporing on Muslim-Americans as well as eedbacon recen coverage o CAIR-relaed sories. Journaliss guides were providedree o charge.

CAIR-MN Hoss Communiy-wide Media Trainings

CAIR-Naional Communicaions Direcor Ibrahim Hooper led a group o nearl100 atendees hrough he basics o media relaions in January and hen againin Augus during he Abu Bakar As Saddique Islamic Cener Convenion.The even provided raining o paricipans on how o publicize heir evens,

respond o negaive press, and build relaionships wih media proessionals.CAIR-MNs Communicaions Direcor Jessica Zikri led a subsequen rainingo a local non-pro organizaion, ocusing on how o raise awareness o heirservices and aciviies.

CAIR-MN Mees wih Sar Tribune Saf

CAIR-MN me wih reporers rom he Sar Tribune o discuss he Muslimcommuniys concerns relaed o recen coverage and address specic aricle

CAIR-MN also provided he Sar Tribune and oher news agencies wih a morecomplee conac lis o Muslim leaders and aciviss.

??ALCU Coaliion

Meeing

june 09

3Know Your RighsBrian Coyle Cener

5Communiy Dinnerwih CAIR-MI Dir.

Dawud Walid

CAIR-MN

0809

TIMELINE

ofEVENTS

12Know Your Righs

Dar al-FarooqMosque

25US AtorneyMeeing wihB. Todd Jones

4Senaor Klobuchar

Oce Meeing

11Civil Righs

Communiy Social

26-28Annual Somali

Convenion

61s Annual

S. Cloud MuslimConvenion

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSCAIR-MN VOLUNTEERS

The imporan work ha CAIR-MN does o suppor and serve he Muslimcommuniy is almos enirely done by voluneers. The CAIR-MN board odirecors is a working board. Each year he board voluneers nearly 10,000hours o ensure ha educaion, raining and advocacy resources are avail-able o he communiy. In addiion o he boards work, CAIR-MN has been

blessed o have a wide voluneer and inern base ha recognizes he neces-siy o CAIR-MNs services. Counless voluneers are behind he scenes oevery even and publicaion disribued by CAIR-MN. Wihou he dedicaionresolve and iniiaive o all our voluneers and inerns, CAIR-MNs accomplishmens would no be possible.

SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAMThis pas summer CAIR-MN had several law school inerns working in is oceThese inerns had he chance o conduc iniial inakes o new complainans,

dra leters o respondens and research relevan case law o orm supporingargumens among oher hings. Currenly CAIR-MN has parnered wih heMinnesoa Jusice Foundaion (MJF) o receive more law school inerns eachsemeser. MJF works wih all our win ciies law schools o place qualied lawsudens wih organizaions ha suppor undeserved communiies.

october 09

5Mayo Clinic

Diversiy Training

11Know Your Righs

Owaonna

29Deparmen o

Homeland SecuriyRoundable

26Cusoms and

Border ProecionMeeing

CAIR-MN

0809

TIMELINE

ofEVENTS

16Naja, Iraq Visi

Hos FamilyDiversiy Training

5Anjuman e-Asghari

Iar andPresenaion

september 09August 09

4Muli-Indusry

EmployerDiversiy Training

223rd Annual

Ramadan Dinner

2009JUSTICE WORKS AWARDRECIPIENT STEPHEN SMITH,ESQSephen Smih has nearly 22 years o experience liigaing employmen and

civil righs cases beore adminisraive agencies and in sae and ederalcours. Mr. Smih has demonsraed experise in represening plainis in abroad range o employmen liigaion, including discriminaion and harassmencases, and complex employmen discriminaion class-acions. Mr. Smih also

has a robus criminal deense pracice, represening cliens in sae andederal cour. Mr. Smih served eigh years as a member o he Board oDirecors or Minnesoa Advocaes or Human Righs and is a member o heMinnesoa Sae Bar Associaion. Finally, Mr. Smih is one o he recipiens ohe 2002 Minnesoa Lawyers Atorney o he Year award.

BOARD AND STAFF(PICTURED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT)

ABDUL BASIT, TREASUREROriginally rom Pakisan, Abdul Basi currenly works wih Ameriprise Financial as a

Projec Manager. He also owns MediaArs, a local videography company. In addiion ohis work wih CAIR-MN he voluneers wih muliple non-pro organizaions.

KASHIF SAROYA, OUTREACH DIRECTORBy proession, Kashi is a Projec Consulan a Ecolab Inc. He has a business degreein Inormaion Sysems and Managemen rom he Universiy o Wisconsin-Madison. Inaddiion o voluneering wih CAIR-MN, Kashi serves as he Presiden o he AdvisoryCouncil o he Muslim Youh o Minnesoa and is a Board Member o he Muslim YouhLeadership Award.

ASMA LORI SAROYA, CHAIRWOMANA co-ounder o CAIR-Minnesoa, Asma Lori is he younges Chairperson in CAIRs 15-year hisory. She is a graduae o S. Ca herine Universiy and is currenly working on herJ.D. degree. In her spare ime, she eaches ESL o immigran aduls and voluneers wihhe Muslim Youh o Minnesoa. In 2009, she was recognized as a Facing Race Ambas-sador by he S. Paul Foundaion.

TONI NEWBORN, ESQ., EVENTS COORDINATORToni Newborn is originally rom Birmingham, Alabama. She graduaed rom Birmingham-Souhern College wih a B.A. degree in Poliical Science in May o 2003. In he all o2004, she moved o S. Paul, Minnesoa where she atended William Michell Collegeo Law. In May 2007, she graduaed rom William Michell and was admited o he Min-nesoa Sae Bar in May o 2008. Toni is currenly employed a he Minneapolis Depar-men o Civil Righs as a Complain Invesigaor. She joined he CAIR-MN board as heEvens Coordinaor in he summer o 2009.

ZAHRA ALJABRI, ESQ., STAFF CIVIL RIGHTS COORDINATORZahra Aljabri sared as an inern wih CAIR-MN and in March 2009 she was hired ashe Civil Righs Coordinaor. Originally rom Caliornia, she graduaed rom UCLA in2005 wih a Communicaions degree. She hen compleed her law degree a SyracuseUniversiy College o Law in New York and was admited o he Minnesoa Sae Bar in2009. I you call CAIR-MNs ofce, Zahra will be your rs poin o conac.

JESSICA ZIKRI, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Since earning a B.F.A in Adverising Design rom he Minneapolis College o Ar andDesign, Jessica has been working in he Coninuing Sudies Deparmen a MCAD. Inaddiion o her work wih CAIR-MN, Jessica voluneers wih he Building Blocks o Islamand is a voluneer and reelance graphic designer or several nonpro organizaions inhe Twin Ciies area.

TANEEZA ISLAM, ESQ., CIVIL RIGHTS DIRECTORServing as he CAIR-MN Civil Righs Direcor since March 2008, Taneeza is an atorneyand works as a Complain Invesigaor a he Minneapolis Deparmen o Civil Righs.In addiion o her Masers degree in Inerculural Managemen and Diversiy Training,Taneeza earned her J.D. rom Hamline Law and was admited o he Minnesoa SaeBar in 2008.

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1821 Universiy Ave W Se 220 Sain Paul, MN 55104(651) 645-7102 | ino@mn.cair.com

www.cairmn.com

MISSIONTo enhance undersanding o Islam, encourage dialogue,

proec civil liberies, empower American Muslims and buildcoaliions ha promoe jusice and muual undersanding.

VISIONTo be a leading advocae or jusice and muual undersanding.

HOW TO GET INVOLVEDWan o help CAIR-MN urher is mission? Consider joining

as a voluneer, an inern, or supporing member. CAIR-MN

is always looking or alened individuals who have he drive

and paience o see he work hrough o he end. Whaeveralen or skill ha you have, CAIR-MN needs iwheher isnancial accouning, communiy organizing, media relaions,

legal research, graphic design, or even planning. Le us know

how you can help: visi www.cairmn.com or more inormaion.