Newsletter: March 5th, 2020
Newsletter | March 5th, 2020
Civil Rights Report
Weeks of February 20th, 2020 to March 5th, 2020
A Muslim man is stopped and interrogated at O’Hare when returning from KSA and has his phone seized due by CBP.
A Muslim employee going through training is treated rudely by her facilitators and is washed out of the program due to her religion and race.
A Muslim bank employee is harassed constantly at work about her religion and is subsequently fired.
A Muslim student is bullied at school regularly and the administration is not helping resolve it.
A DACA recipient was denied the opportunity to adjust her status to lawful permanent resident.
A Muslim traveler needs help filling out authorization forms for the Department of State.
Now Hiring: Trial Attorney
CAIR-Chicago is seeking a Trial Attorney to join our Civil Rights Department and help fight against discrimination and hate crimes.
To apply please send a Cover Letter, Writing Samples (limited to 15 pages), and Resume to Deputy Director, Sufyan Sohel at ssohel@cair.com. Please write ‘Trial Attorney” in the Subject heading. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.
Description
CAIR-Chicago is a local office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). CAIR is the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organization and was established to promote an accurate image of Islam and Muslims in America. CAIR-Chicago’s mission is to defend civil rights, fight bigotry, and promote tolerance. The Civil Rights Department counsels, mediates, and advocates on behalf of Muslims and others who have experienced religious discrimination, defamation, or hate crimes. The Department works to protect and defend the constitutional rights of Muslims to freely practice their religion and be treated in a non-discriminatory manner.
The Trial Attorney in CAIR-Chicago’s Civil Rights Department develops strategies for cases reported to the Department, represents complainants who have experienced discrimination, and facilitates resolutions ranging from proactive measures to full litigation of complaints in court. Litigation of CAIR-Chicago’s cases entails filing complaints, engaging in written and oral discovery (occasionally expert discovery), briefing summary judgment motions, and presenting cases at administrative hearings and court trials (including jury trials).
The Trial Attorney also assists in the general management and supervision of the Department when necessary, including overseeing interns and externs.
Examples of the matters litigated by CAIR-Chicago include employment discrimination, denials of public accommodations, discrimination against students, mosque zoning disputes, travel ban issues, and delays in immigration benefits for Muslim immigrants.
In addition to pursuing individual complaints of religious discrimination, the Department has implemented several ongoing special projects that target important issues in the diverse Muslim communities:
Citizenship Delay Project – works to end the lengthy delays in the citizenship process for Muslims applying for U.S. citizenship.
Asylum Project – seeks to protect refugees from Middle Eastern countries who are unwilling or unable to return to their home country due to past persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.
Employment Discrimination Project – assists Muslims facing religious discrimination in the workplace.
Travel Free Project – addresses complaints of Muslims encountering problems while traveling.
Police Misconduct Project – advocates and represents clients in cases of discriminatory treatment by law enforcement.
FBI Project – assists individuals contacted by FBI agents, fully protecting their constitutional rights when being questioned.
Prison Project – secures the rights of Muslim inmates to practice their religion freely as well as seeks to ensure that inmates are treated humanely.
The Trial Attorney assists on working with staff members and interns/externs on all of these projects.
Requirements
At least four years of litigation experience, preferably in Federal Court, and admitted to the Illinois State Bar and the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois.
Self-motivated, well-organized, and demonstrated ability to multi-task.
Ability to participate in all stages of complex litigation and to formulate and implement sophisticated legal strategies.
Excellent writing and analytical skills.
Ability to work cooperatively on a variety of projects with attorneys, other staff members, and diverse community organizations and coalitions.
Ability to communicate effectively in legal and non-legal settings with a wide range of individuals and organizations.
Interest in protecting civil liberties in the United States.
To apply please send a Cover Letter, Writing Samples (limited to 15 pages), and Resume to Deputy Director, Sufyan Sohel at ssohel@cair.com. Please write ‘Trial Attorney” in the Subject heading. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.
For any questions please contact Deputy Director Sufyan Sohel at 312-212-1520 orssohel@cair.com.
Be Counted! Pledge to take the 2020 Census
CAIR-Chicago will always be committed to strengthening civic engagement and mobilization within our Muslim communities throughout Chicagoland and Illinois.
Just like we did in 2010, CAIR-Chicago is once again making sure we Get Out The Count (#GOTC) for the 2020 Census. Every person of all ages living in the United States—no matter if you were born here, became a naturalized citizen, are a recent or longtime immigrant, or even undocumented—are required by federal law to take the census without threat or penalty to your citizenship status.
One person who is leading by example is an immigrant Latinx Muslim inviting everyone to be counted, Christopher Nevarez Azdar.
An Outreach & Government Intern alum from Summer 2019 at CAIR-Chicago, Nevarez Azdar is now the 2020 Census Fellow with CAIR-Chicago and the Illinois Muslim Civic Coalition. Working to increase community awareness through workshops, presentations and events, Nevarez Azdar will have a particular outreach focus on college students and building strategic partnerships with similar peer civic engagement organizations.
"The fear of government surveillance through the census is one that, while valid, works to harm us in the long run,” says Nevarez Azdar. “We need to be accurately represented."
Learn more about why Nevarez Azdar will take the 2020 Census, why it's so necessary for you to participate and encourage your family and friends to also be counted. Remember, April 1st is Census Day!
EVENTS
CAIR-Chicago Participates in 10th Annual International Fest at Jerling Jr. High
CAIR-Chicago was one of numerous organizations that joined several hundred community members at Jerling Junior High School in Orland Park. The school, which has a sizeable Arab American student body, hosted its 10th Annual International Fest on February 28th.
The event celebrates the diversity and backgrounds of Jerling’s students and families. The evening included authentic cuisine, country presentations, performances, international crafts/games and various organizations explaining their missions. Outreach Coordinator Gerald Hankerson greeted attendees with information on CAIR-Chicago.
MYLS-Chicago Hosts Second Session at Aqsa School
CAIR-Chicago’s youth development initiative, Muslim Youth Leadership Symposium (MYLS)-Chicago continued its relaunch at Aqsa School in Bridgeview on February 28th. Sixty students in grades 8-12 classes participated in the second installment of this special executive session, called "Set Your Own Tracks."
CAIR-Chicago's Executive Director Ahmed Rehab, the main presenter, presented insights from 15 years of experience of civil rights activism and advocacy. He also delivered the khutbah for the Friday congregational prayer for all the students 6th through 12th. Outreach Coordinator Gerald Hankerson also spoke to the group.
Students were charged to identify issues impacting their community and the nation. Aqsa School joined MYLS-Chicago as a participating member school in April 2008.
Outreach Coordinator Joins Panel on Careers in Immigration Advocacy
On Tuesday, March 3rd, CAIR-Chicago’s Outreach Coordinator Gerald Hankerson was invited to speak on a panel, “Pathways in Careers in Immigrant Advocacy”, at theUniversity of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Hankerson was one of six panelists who shared their personal journeys to their current professional roles that include immigration services in various sectors such as nonprofit.
A UIC alum, Hankerson identified his college experience and the aftermath of the September 11th attacks as the catalyst for learning about immigrant rights and becoming an ally. He noted how intersectionality with his own identity as an African American Muslim and the fight for civil rights have been linked, making his role as ally more possible to coordinate public education and civic engagement for all communities. Hankerson spoke to CAIR-Chicago’s immigration advocacy, from civil rights cases like asylum and citizenship projects to the travel ban and census outreach.
The panel was hosted by the UIC College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Career Services, and Pre-Law division.
CAIR-Chicago's Staff Host DePaul University Seminar
On Tuesday, March 3rd, Outreach Coordinator Gerald Hankerson hosted sophomore students from DePaul University in the Azima Gallery. There, Communications Coordinator Saadia Pervaiz was a guest lecturer for the classSocial Justice Stories of Minority Women in the United States.
In the seminar, Saadia discussed gender roles assigned to Muslim women, how they navigate public and private spheres, their negotiation with expression through the arts, media, & activism and the historical context of the standards to which they are held. Students learned about how Muslim women use their backgrounds to fuel activism and the struggles they face along the way in the United States.
Did You Know?
You can apply to be an intern for the Summer 2020 Term on our website?
CAIR-Chicago is 100% community-funded. We cannot continue without your help. You can contribute to our work by donating to our efforts. Every penny matters!